Radiant Dawn High School
by nomey1
Summary: Mina is a new girl who is going to this really big high school where both Beorc and Laguz attend. There she meets a lot of new friends and more. Basically normal high school drama with a few twists here and there. Rated T just in case.
1. Chapter 1

**Hi readers! Thank you for checking out this story! Even if it was an accident, still, thanks! I really am working hard on this story and I want people to like it. In this story, all (or most) of the characters in this story are going to be around the same age. So, that means Ike will be around the same age as Sothe and everyone else. One or two characters I made older than normal like Mist and Rolf. I know they are supposed to be much younger than the gang but I wanted them in the story so I made them 1****st**** years in high school. I am going to try to have different point of views but the normal POV will be with my OC, Mina. I am only going to have it switch once but then I will get more into it later. Anyway, please enjoy!**

_**Disclaimer:**__** I do not own Fire Emblem, the characters, or anything associated with it. These things belong to their rightful owners. The only thing that belongs to me is my OCs that are in the story.**_

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_Radiant Dawn High School_

Chapter 1:

I woke up on the morning of my first day of school freaking out. (Well, it was MY first day of school. Everyone else started a week ago but I had to move and stuff.) My clock says 6:50 a.m.! Is that right? School was going to start soon and I wasn't even dressed yet! I rush to the bathroom to brush my hair and teeth. Then I rush to my wooden trunk and put on a simple t-shirt that's green with a matching scarf (the kind that was more like an accessory piece then something to keep you warm) and black jeans. I grabbed my school bag, lunch, and my journal **(a/n: The notebook is very important but it will be mentioned in a later chapter)**. I rushed out of my room, down the stairs, and out the inn that I was staying at.

I ran as fast as I could and did not bother to say hi to anyone. All I could think of was making it to my new school on time! A few villagers look at me but went on about their business.

I see Radiant Dawn High School ahead of me. It was made of two main buildings. One side was for the Beorcs and the other side was for the Laguz. It was also had a main office and other small buildings for the library, music room, the cafeteria, and others across the school grounds. In the middle of the main buildings was an open area with plants, benches, and a water fountain with a goddess in the middle (like a garden). Basically, it seemed like a campus but this was a high school, not college.

There is a walkway going in the direction of the main buildings. One went left to the one main building and one went right to the other main building. I have no idea where to turn. Which one was the Beorc side again? I hit my head trying to remember but I still couldn't figure it out. I decide to pick left. I hope I was right. I walk for a little bit till I heard flapping of wings and look up. Above me was a raven laguz. I must have gone the wrong way. Crap! Before I could turn around and go to the other building, the Laguz lands in front of me.

He has shiny, black hair that was held in a tiny ponytail almost reaching his shoulders. He was wearing a plain black shirt with light blue jeans. The jeans had holes in them. The raven had purple eyes that were burning with hatred. The black wings he had were very shiny and beautiful to look at (to me, anyway).

"Hey, human! You're on the wrong side!" He said glaring at me. He sounded very angry.

"U-um. I'm sorry! I'm n-new here and didn't r-remember where I was supposed to go. I-I promise it w-won't happen a-again! If you will e-excuse me I h-have to go to c-class." I said trying to not sound shaky. Obviously not succeeding. I'm not scared of the Laguz; it's just that he surprised me with that loud, deep voice of his. You see, I am a very shy person so I don't talk to people that much.

"I won't let you go that easily." The raven smirked, "You should be punished. You have to be my little play toy now." He gave me a big, evil grin and I start running the other direction.

"You can't get away from me, little girl!" He yelled as he took to the air.

I ran at full speed trying to get to the building before he got me. If I get to the right side I won't get hurt, right? Right?! As I was panicking and running, I didn't notice a student walking towards me on the path and I ran right into him. I fell to the ground.

"Ouch! I-I'm s-sorry!" I said sitting on the ground trying to catch my breath. Man, I am so dead now!

"Are you ok? Why were you running?" The student asked. I look up and see it is a tall person. He has aqua colored hair with beautifully colored eyes. One of them is purple and the other is a really light green. He is wearing baggy, dark blue pants with a tight, sleeveless, dark brown shirt. I could see his muscles and blushed a light red. He also has cat ears and a tail. I realize that he is a cat laguz. I thought he looked really cute, and my blush turns into a darker red. Then I remember I was running for my life thanks to that raven boy.

"Ranulf! Out of the way! That human girl is MY toy to play with, not yours!" said the raven boy as he lands a few feet away from us.

"Derek, you know you will get in trouble if you get caught." Ranulf said. "Don't call her 'human', either; it's Beorc, baka."

"You think I care? The human came to the wrong side and she should be punished!" Derek yelled. I was really scared now.

"She's new to this area. Just leave her alone." He helped me up but I trip and fall into his chest. My face felt hot as Ranulf steadied me so I wouldn't fall again. I hid behind him holding on to his arm terrified. He looked at me and smiled (I think he blushed a little), "You'll be ok, don't you worry. He's just a big, fat, hot head sometimes!" His grin was so bright, for a moment, I forgot I was in danger and it made me feel warm inside.

"I heard that! Anyway, I'll leave her alone after I hear a 'good' apology."

"I-I'm sorry. I p-promise it won't happen a-again." I said barley passed a whisper.

"See? She apologized. Better now?" he said.

"No, not even close. I'll just knock her around a little, so she learns her lesson."

I then notice that students were leaving both of the buildings as the loud bell rang. Did I miss my first class already? Dang it! They saw the argument and started making a large circle around us. Great. Just what I needed.

"Sorry. Can't let you do that." Ranulf said glaring at Derek. I saw what was coming so I let go of Ranulf's arm.

"Want to fight then, cat boy?" Derek challenged. He smirked and gave a creepy grin that screamed 'evil'.

"Sure, canary!" He crouched down like a cat, poised to strike. "Girlie, you might want to take a few steps back." He said looking back at me with a cute smirk.

"U-um, o-ok." I did as I was told making sure I wouldn't get in his way. I don't like fighting but I don't like being a bother to people, either. More and more students were surrounding us and started whispering and making bets on who would win.

"Ten bucks on the raven." One said.

"Nah look at the cat guy. You know what happens when a cat gets protective. It's to the death." Another one said.

The next thing I saw made me gasp. Ranulf roared, shifting into a giant blue cat. Derek jumped back and shifted into a raven. They were so big it scared me a little but, I wasn't THAT scared. I've always thought that the Laguz were amazing being able to shift like that.

Of course, I couldn't tell anybody that. Most people don't like the Laguz that well and most of them don't like us. Even though we Beorcs and the Laguz were supposed to get along with each other in peace some still didn't like the idea of being put together. It would take a while before people could be completely comfortable with the idea. But one thing was certain… people would question me if I said I liked them. But then again, why do I care? Oh yeah, my goal was to make friends; I needed some. I live alone. I don't like being alone all the time but I don't mind most of the time. I'm used to it.

"STOP!" someone yelled interrupting my babbling mind.

Everyone turns and sees a student. He was tall with dark blue hair in a red headband. He was muscular and he was very handsome. You could tell he was a leader-type person. Who is he though?

As if on cue, my question gets answered. "Student Council President Ike!" the students gasp. Behind him was a younger looking student with dark green hair.

"What do you want me to do about this?" the green haired boy asked President Ike.

"Nothing, I can take care of this. Just go back to the office to finish up those papers. I will be there soon, Soren."

"Ok." Soren replied and walked away to a building in between the two other buildings in the back that I didn't notice till now. Was he the vice president? I'm going to guess yes for now.

"Now, will someone like to explain what the heck is going on?" Ike said peering at us. It scares me a little.

Ranulf shifted back to human form and spoke up, "Derek attacked the new girl and I was just trying to defend her."

"Is this true?" Ike questioned as he looking straight at Derek.

Now Derek shifts back and answers, "She went over to the wrong side of the school!"

Ike now looks at me, "Is this correct, miss?"

My eyes widen. "Y-yes. I-I'm sorry! I'm new to t-this town and I forgot which way to turn so I guessed this side and that was a m-mistake. I'm t-truly sorry! I promise I won't make the same mistake again. I-I don't want t-them to f-fight!" I stuttered. Brilliant… Hey, I'm shy! Cut me some slack!

"I see no need to apologize. Obviously there was a misunderstanding. I don't want fighting on school property, either." He replied sympathetically at me. He has very kind eyes. Ike turned to the crowd. "Everyone, leave immediately. There is nothing to see here. Go to your classes." Then he looked at us. "Come to the office. I think Titania would like to have a good talk with you three." I didn't move right away. Ranulf saw this and let his arm out motioning me to grab it. I blushed but held on.

The students left slowly murmuring to each other and we walked to the main building. I heard a lots of "Man I wanted to see what would've happened!" and "What's with that girl?" kind of comments. Great, I made a good first impression! I just want to make it to my next class and sit through things normally but now kids are going to be talking about me and the fight. I just want to be left alone! I squeezed Ranulf's arm harder without realizing it and look down.

Ranulf whispers to me, "Are you alright? Sorry this happened to you. It's ok I'll be there with you, so please don't be scared."

I snap out of my daze and look at him. I could see sympathy in his eyes and I give him a weak smile. "I'm alright, thanks."

I keep walking holding on to his arm. I was still dizzy from when I fell earlier. I look behind me slowly and carefully. Derek was walking with his hands in his pockets and a frown on his face. He notices me looking and glares at me. I quickly turn my head the other way. Great! I made a good first impression AND someone hates me. This town was so weird and my life was becoming stranger by the minute.

We made it to the building, and let me tell you, it was huge! This was the main building? Seems like a very nice one. Fanciest one I have ever seen! Bright lights were hanging everywhere off of the ceiling with a beautiful glow that bathed the halls and rooms with a nice homey feeling. Beautiful pictures hung around the room and desks were seen here and there with secretaries and other school workers. My grip on Ranulf's arm loosens as I relax.

Ranulf said, "Everything looks nice, right? Let's just hope Titania is in a good mood. If she isn't, were dead!"

I look up at him in shock. "Is it that bad?"

He smiles his wide smile. "It sure is!"

Ike then said, "Go on in. Titania is waiting for you inside."

I admit that I am scared! Thanks to Ranulf and his big mouth, I am afraid of what Principal Titania will do to us! We walk in and it was very nice and organized. Soren was standing in a corner, waiting for Ike, I guess. Ike spots him and goes to stand next to him.

Titania was sitting at her desk and looked really pretty. She had nice, long red hair in a very neat braid. She was wearing a black suite and very official looking. I think after one glance, no one would want to mess with her!

"Have a seat." Titania ordered us. I didn't want to, for some reason, want to let go of Ranulf's arm. I had to though, so I did. I sat down in the chair to the right of the front of the desk, Ranulf sat next to me in the middle, and Derek next to him on the left of the desk.

"So," Titania finally said, "Derek attacked the new girl, Mina, and Ranulf came to protect her. Then it almost became a big fight when Ike saw what was happening and stopped it. Is this correct?"

I nod my head and gathered my courage to speak, "Y-Yes miss."

She nods her head in understanding. "What shall we do with you three, then?" She thinks for a moment. "How about I let you guys off the hook this ONE time and if it happens again there will be BIG consequences. Fair with you guys?"

"…" Derek didn't say anything. He was probably used to this stuff.

"Yes, ma'am." Ranulf replied smiling politely.

I nod my head smiling and feeling grateful. At least one thing went right, I didn't get in trouble.

We got up and left. Well, I was almost able to leave until I heard Titania speak again. "Mina, can you please wait a moment?"

I look at her questioning but reply, "Sure."

Before I could stay, I felt a hand on my shoulder. I turn my head to see Ranulf standing behind me. "Are you going to be ok?"

"Yeah, thanks."

"Alright." He smiled and walked out. I feel my face get hot. Why?

"Please sit." Titania's voice broke into my thoughts. I look at her then I sit down.

"W-Why do you want t-to talk to m-me, miss?"

"Well, if I'm correct, you live by yourself."

Crap! I hate it when people bring it up! I always feel like I am being looked down at because of my situation. I nod my head and try to hide my face with my long, blue, curly hair. My blue eyes, for some reason, tears up easily. I guess I'm just sensitive on the matter, that's all.

"Why are you living alone? Don't you have your family?"

"…My parents are dead and I have no siblings." I replied. Whenever it comes to this subject, I never stutter. I don't know why but it just happens.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Do you have relatives?"

"I don't know my relatives. My parents never let me see them. I don't know why, though."

"Well, I don't like the fact that you are living alone. Your 16! How are you paying for were you are staying?"

"I got some money when my parents died. They saved it just in case anything bad happened that would force them to use it."

"Alright, we will have to do something, though. I can't let you just live alone and that money won't last forever."

"Why doesn't she just stay in the dorms, then? That way, she won't be alone. Would that help?" Ike had spoken up and I turned my head to look at him.

"I think Ike makes a good point, Titania." Soren said.

"Good idea, Ike!" Titania exclaimed happily. She turns to me, "Does this work with you?"

"U-Um, yes. T-Thank you!" I returned to my, partially, normal self.

"Great! Let me get you a dorm room picked and come by at the end of the day so you know where you will be staying at."

"Thanks. A-Also, could I have a schedule? I-I lost mine."

"Sure! Soren, go to the computer in the other room and print hers off, ok?"

"Yes, miss." Soren answered. Then he said, "Come along, Miss Mina."

"O-Ok." I said to Soren. Then I turn towards Titania. "Thank you, ma'am." I bow to Titania and follow Soren out of the office.

We walked a little bit and then we make it into this one room that had a few computers in them. Soren sat at in front of one of them, clicked on a few buttons, and then my schedule was printed out from the printer in the back corner of the room.

"Go ahead and take it. I'll write you a pass so you have an excuse for being late."

"Thank you." I smile and bow. Then I walk over to the printer, picked up my schedule, and went out the main building.

_**Soren's POV:**_

As I walked out of the computer room I started to think of that new girl, Mina. 'Her face was red,' I thought, 'was she crying? Must have been when she mentioned her parents being dead.' I just can't imagine what it was like for her to have them, and then have them gone. I don't know what it is like. I was an orphan but I have been living with Ike and Mist long since I can remember. I don't care, though. I like things the way they are. If I could change anything, I wouldn't.

I felt anger build when I thought of that stupid cat sub-human being near that new girl. He is no good and he should stay far away. That raven can die for all I care. Those sub-humans need to know there place and stay away from us Beorcs.

'But…' I reasoned as I cooled down, 'if Ike found out I was thinking these thoughts, he would be very displeased with me.' Ike is friendly with the 'Laguz'. He wants everyone to live in peace so I support him. I don't think it is that possible but it is good to try. Ike is a close friend to me so I will always be there for him.

"Soren?" said Ike as he walked up to me.

"Yes, Ike?" I asked.

"Let's go to our next class." He said smiling.

"Alright." I said walking with him out of the building.

While we walked I saw the new girl and Ranulf talking. We kept on walking but I looked back a few times just to make sure that the stupid cat wouldn't do something bad to her.

_**Normal POV:**_

I see someone leaning against the wall and turn around. "R-Ranulf, is that you? I t-thought you went to c-class already."

He stood up straight and walked over to me, "I thought I'd stick around a bit before going to class. You ok? Your face looks a little red."

"It does?" I asked while feeling over my cheek. It was a little damp. Did I seriously cry when I was in there? I hope no one else had noticed it… "It's nothing." I quickly said. I had my hair cover my face. I don't want people to worry about me. I heard the door near me open but I ignore it.

Ranulf broke my thoughts. "Come on, I know your lying. We're going to be late for class, so meet me at the main gate after school ends, ok?"

"A-Alright."

"Ok. If you don't I will hunt you down!" he gave me a wide grin.

I giggled a little, "Ok, ok, I will." I rush off to class. I look back one last time and see him waving at me. I wave back. Maybe I am starting to have feelings for this really cute Laguz…

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**Well, what do you think? Was the story good/bad? Please comment and tell me what you think, ok? I would really like to know what you guys think. If you have suggestions, ideas, or anything like that just tell me. Thank you for reading! :D Oh, and sorry if the characters where OOC (out of character) but it is hard to know what each character is thinking! ^_^' I do try my best, though! **

**BTW: If you don't know what baka means, it means moron (or something like that).**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hi everyone! I am so sorry it took me forever to get this chapter up! I was working on school stuff, helping out with the play, and then it snowed like crazy on Friday. We got 20 inches of snow (I think that's right)! I know these are excuses but I really did try to update this as soon as I could! The truth is, I am such a procrasinator! You can ask my friends and they will tell you for themselves! Anyway, I am very proud of this chapter. I don't know why, but I got a lot done it it. Sorry if it seems rushed but I really did want this to be done in one chapter and that is hard to do. You are probably asking, "Why don't you just split it in half then? Why is it so long?" Well, in this chapter, I represent my friend (who is like my twin) as a character in the story. She has been bugging me forever to have her appear in the chapter! Sadly, she was at the end so I had to fit in as much a possible. Anywho, please enjoy this chapter!**

**Quick note - This is dedicated to my friend and twin, HappyBunny855. Check out her Shugo Chara fanfic "Was it a accident?"**

**_Disclaimer: I do not own Fire Emblem or anything associating with it. These things belong to their rightful owners. The only thing that belongs to me is my OCs. _**

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Chapter 2:

As I neared the building I needed to go to I looked over my schedule to make sure I had my classes right and this it what it read:

Period 1 - Math - Mr. Smith - A104

Period 2 - Archery - Mr. Shinon - Outside gym room

Period 3 - Battle Tactics - Mr. Nolan - B210

Period 4 - Lunch - (blank) - Cafeteria

Period 5 - Guitar - Mrs. Roxanne - B215

Period 6 - Science - Mrs. Lium - A107

Period 7 - English - Mr. Holland - A106

Period 8 - History - Ms. Sylvester - A105

Soren had explained to me that periods 1, 2, 4, 5, and 7 are on green days and periods 2, 3, 4, 6, and 8 were on orange days. Basically each pair of classes were every other day.

I open up my agenda book to today's date to see that it is green day so I missed math class. **(a/n: I forgot to mention this in the last chapter but along with her schedule she got an agenda book from Soren. Oopsies! ^^') **So my next class is archery. I love archery class so this should be fun! I just need to find were the gym is.

I wonder behind the Beorc building to see what I would find and I sigh in relief. There is a building with the word 'Gym' written on top of the door. I walk behind it and see these target marks and students sitting in the grass. Some were chatting and others were stretching and getting there bows set.

From the corner of my eye I see an adult walk up to me. He has nice, long red hair in a ponytail and dark green eyes. He has a dark green shirt on along with tan pants and high boots that are also dark green. 'He sure loves green.' I thought giggling in my head. I also notice he had a beige sweater with the sleeves wrapped around his neck.

"You must be the new student, Mina, right?" he asked blandly.

"Y-Yes, I am." I stuttered.

"Welcome to archery class. I am Mr. Shinon and I will be your teacher for the whole year. Today we are using the school's bow and arrows so you are lucky. Tomorrow, though, you need one."

"O-Ok."

"Alright, grab one from the pile by the back door over there and warm-up." Mr. Shinon said pointing to the door of the back of the gym. Next to it was a pile of bows and quivers **(a/n: If you don't know what that is, it is a narrow case for holding arrows.)**. I pick up one of each and walk over to a spot to sit down.

Just as I sit down, Mr. Shinon stands in front of the group. "Everyone shut up and look up here!" he said sternly. Everyone immediately stopped talking and looked at him. "Good, now, we are going to start practice. Stand up and pick a target to practice on."

I stand up and walk over to a target at the end of the row. Next to me was a guy with blond hair that reaches his shoulders and is straight along with dark grey eyes. They remind me of storm clouds for some reason.

I grabbed an arrow from my quiver and aimed at the target. I feel a pair of eyes on me but I ignore it for the moment. I had my target and I let go of the arrow. It flies and hits the bull's-eye. I then look to my side to see it is the guy that is staring at me. He sees me looking and quickly grabs an arrow. He aims and fires it. It lands on the bull's-eye and looks back at me.

"The name is Leonardo. What's yours." He says.

My eyes widen for a second but I then compose myself. "M-My name i-is Mina. Nice to meet you!" I said smiling sweetly. Might as well be nice to him, right?

He nods and gets back to practice. I do as well and we both do really well. Some kids stopped to watch us but the teacher catches them and snaps at them. I just hope I don't get on his bad side.

Finally, class was over and I put the bow and quiver I used away. I took out my schedule and sigh. Next was lunch and I am really hungry. There was only one problem, though. Where is the cafeteria? I look around just to see Leonardo walk up to me.

"What do you have next?" he asked.

"I have lunch." I replied. At least I didn't stutter.

"I do, too. Want to sit with me and my friends?"

I blush a little. "S-Sure. I-If you don't m-mind, that is." Well, that didn't last for long.

He smiled a little and I blush some more. For dark eyes, he sure does have a nice smile. "Follow me, I'll show you were the cafeteria is."

"Thank you!" I said smiling.

He looked away for a sec. Did I see a blush? No, I must be seeing things. He suddenly turned around and started walking so I hurriedly follow him. We walk past the gym and around the Beorc building. We were in front of the building when I heard someone yell.

"Leonardo!"

Leonardo froze and I stopped. He looked tense and his face showed pain. I look where he is looking to see a boy running closer to us. I could see he has messy brown hair and is very hyper. As he came closer I notice that he also has grey eyes.

He stopped in front of Leonardo and took deep breathes. Finally, he caught his breathe and stood up straight. He then said, "Hey, Leo!" He smiled widely reminding me of a little boy.

"Hi, Edward." Leonardo sighed.

"Heading for lunch?" Edward asked still keeping his smile.

"I was just on my way. What about-?" Leonardo started when Edward interrupted by gasping and pointing at me. I froze.

"Hey! Your that new girl!" Edward exclaimed. My eyes became wide and I took a step back.

"Her name is Mina, baka." Leonardo said.

"Awe, I wanted to meet her first!" he whined ignoring the insult. I swear he really does act like a little child. I muffled a giggle but Leonardo heard and looked at me with an eyebrow raised. Edward didn't notice but he did do something unexpected. He jumped on me and hugged me tight.

"You are so cute!" he yelled. I blushed really badly. He let go of me but still had his hands on my shoulders. He said, "You remind me of a little sister! I don't have one, though…" He was in thought when he smiled brightly. "I know! Will you be mine?"

I was surprised. "U-Uh… ok." I replied. Why not? Edward was funny and he did remind me of a little brother. I don't have any siblings so I guess this could be a good thing. Right?

"Great! Let's go to lunch!" he excitedly said grabbing my hand and started running. I almost tripped trying to keep up with him. I kept blushing because of the fact that he was holding my hand.

"Oi, baka!" I heard Leonardo yell as he tried to catch up with us.

We ran behind the main building just to see a large cafeteria. Edward started walking but didn't let go of my hand. I caught my breathe as he walked in. I could see lots of tables and students eating. To my surprise, Laguz were also there eating with Beorc. That made me smile. 'At least we are not separated when it comes to eating.' I thought. Edward continues dragging me till we reach this one table with two people there.

Edward let go of my hand and we sat down. A minute later, Leonardo sat next to Edward. "Edward, you baka! You didn't have to run off like that!" he said angrily.

"But I really wanted Micaiah and Sothe to see the new girl." He said pouting like a little kid.

As Leonardo and Edward argued I look at the two people at the table to notice I was sitting next to the girl named Micaiah. She has long silver hair with a blue ribbon tied in the back princess style. She has golden eyes that are big and bright. She's wearing a dark maroon shirt and dark brown leggings. She has light brown boots that reached her knees covering her leggings.

The guy next to her was probably Sothe. He has green messy hair (lighter than Soren's) and has golden eyes. He wore a green sleeveless shirt and tan, baggy pants. He has dark brown boots that almost reached his knees and the bottoms of his pants were tucked in them.

Micaiah spoke up, "Nice to meet you. What's your name?" She stretched out her hand for me to shake it.

"M-My name is Mina." I replied taking her hand. I froze when I felt some strong energy from her hand. Does she have some kind of powers or something? I look at her face to see she was thinking and looking at my hand strangely.

I quickly let go and made and excuse, "Sorry, d-didn't mean to shock y-you." I laughed a little nervously.

She smiled realizing what I was doing. "That's ok. Happens all the time, right?" she said.

I got a good glare from Sothe and that scared me a little. He must know something is up.

Edward leaned in and whispered in my ear, "Don't be intimidated by him. He just likes to glare at people."

"I heard that." Sothe said but continued eating like he didn't care.

"Don't you have anything to eat?" Micaiah asked.

I then remember that I don't have any lunch. I was in a hurry this morning so I didn't pack any food. "Uh…" I said laughing a little and rubbing the back of my head.

Something flew at me and I caught it. It was a Clementine. I love these! I look in the direction where it flew from to see Leonardo looking at me. "Here, you can have it."

I smiled, "T-Thank you."

I pealed at it and started eating it. I smile brightly because it tastes so nice and fresh!

Then I feel something on my head. I put my hand up to feel a water bottle. Huh? I take it and look up to see mismatched eyes.

I blush insanely, "R-Ranulf?!"

He smirked, "Hey. Heard you didn't have your lunch. You can have this."

I smiled in gratitude. "Thanks!" He laughed and I blushed a deeper red. I was confused. What did I say?

He waved his hand up and down. "It's nothing. See you later." He then walks off waving back at me.

_**Ranulf's POV:**_

I return to the table I was sitting at to get good stares from Lethe and Lyre, orange cat sisters, and a questioning look from Mordecai, my blue tiger friend.

"What?" I asked nonchalantly.

"Who is that girl you talked to?" Lethe asked carefully.

"Oh. A girl that I saved this morning from Derek. You know, the raven guy who basically has issues with everybody?"

"Why did you go talk to her if she's just 'a girl you saved this morning'?" Lyre asked dramatically.

I laughed. "What? I'm not allowed to talk to a girl? You know you can do that, too."

Lyre fumed like a little kid but Lethe put a hand on her shoulder to calm her down. She sure does have anger issues.

"Is she a nice Beorc?" It was Mordecai's turn to ask me a question.

"Yeah. She's also very cute…" I said a little distractedly.

Everyone looked at each other worriedly. Then Lethe got my attention again.

"You know what will happen if you hang out with her a lot, right?" she said.

"Yes, I know."

"Then, for her sake, don't get too close." Lyre said. She was no longer acting like a baby or dramatic. She was very serious.

We stayed quiet for the rest of lunch and I quietly finished my food. I know I'm supposed to stay away from Mina but for some reason I can't. I don't want to be away from her. Why do I feel this way?

_**Normal POV:**_

I turn my head to see everyone staring at me. "W-What?" I asked nervously.

"How does Ranulf know you?" Edward asked. He seemed a little serious and that got me even more nervous.

"H-He saved me t-this morning." I replied.

He gasped. "Wait! YOU'RE the girl that got in trouble with Derek this morning?!"

I nodded. He and Micaiah gasped. Leonardo was eating but I could tell he was listening. Sothe was watching me very carefully.

"That's a lot to go through for you first day." Micaiah said concern tinting her voice.

"Yeah! Did he hurt you? Did he scare you?" Edward asked worriedly looking around me. I blush and scoot away from him.

I waved my hands in front of my face, "I'm fine! You don't need to worry about me."

He stopped looking around for marks and then looked at me sternly. "If I am going to be a good brother, I need to worry about you! It's my job!" Edward said I froze. It reminded me of my parents when they died.

_**Flashback (2 years ago):**_

"Mom, dad, its okay if I don't have lunch tomorrow for school. I know you guys were too busy to go shopping today." I said as my parents were grabbing their coats and putting them on.

"No, sweetie, you need something to eat or else you will starve the whole day." My mom said smiling at me.

"But-!" I said trying to protest but I was cut off by dad.

"Kiddo, it's our job to take care of you. What kind of parents would we be if we didn't take care of you?"

I stopped bugging them. I knew they were going to be stubborn and go out this late at night just to get me food.

"Alright… Just hurry back! Ok?" I said hugging them.

They hugged me back. "Ok, sweetie." My mom said. Then she walked out the door. My dad followed.

He then said, "Don't worry. We will be back in 2 seconds. I promise!" He stepped out the door and shut it.

I didn't see their smiling faces after that…

_**End Flashback**_

"Mina? Mina!" Edward said frantically waving his hand in front of my face.

"Huh?" I said distracted. Did I really space out?

"You ok?" Micaiah asked.

I smiled hoping they wouldn't notice that it was fake. "Don't worry, I'm fine!"

I look at a clock to see lunch was almost over. "I-I better go find m-my next class. Bye!" I said quickly picking up my trash and tossing it out. I held on to my unopened water bottle and walked out of the cafeteria.

_**Micaiah's POV:**_

I saw Mina walk off and I was worried. What happened when she dozed off? Did she remember something bad? I felt a hand on mine and I look next to me to see Sothe. He looked worried at me and I smiled.

"Sorry, I guess I just want to make sure Mina is ok." I said.

Sothe nodded understanding. He knew how I always worried about people and that's what I liked about him. He always understood me. He squeezed my hand and went back to eating. I then heard Edward sigh and look at Leonardo.

"What's wrong with Mina? For a second she was fine and the next she's dozing off. Did I say something?" He said sadly.

"Probably." Leonardo half joked.

"Hey!" he said angrily.

"You asked and I gave you my answer. It's not my fault that you are a baka." Edward fumed as Leonardo looked at the clock. "Oh, look at the time. I better get going, too." He said standing up and walking off.

"Hey! You can't get away that easily!" he yelled angrily running after Leonardo.

I laughed and Sothe took my trash. "Thanks." I said.

"You going to be ok, Micaiah?" he asked.

"Yeah, I will. Let's get going, ok?"

"Ok." Sothe smiled his rare smile that he only let me see. I took his hand and we walked out just as other students started leaving. From the corner of my eye I could see Ranulf looking out the window. I looked at the direction he was looking just in time to see Mina walk around the main building toward the Beorc classes. 'I hope those fan girls don't attack her like they did to the others.' I thought.

_**Normal POV:**_

I went to guitar class and met Mrs. Roxanne. She was very nice but a little hyper and that class went by pretty quick. We got assigned guitars and we played a few songs. Then I went to English to meet Mr. Holland. He was a very quiet teacher and students fell asleep as he taught. The funny things was, when they did fall asleep, the teacher would simply grab a squirt bottle and spray water in their face. I giggled a little because it happened to three students.

Finally, the day was over and I rushed to the front of the school. If I don't hurry, Ranulf will leave and get mad at me. I made it to the gate and I was breathing to catch my breath.

"There you are." I heard a voice say.

I turned toward the direction of the voice to see Ranulf leaning against the wall casually.

"Ranulf!" I said happily. I'm glad he didn't leave yet.

"Ready to go?" he asked standing up straight. He smiles and I blush pink.

But then I froze remembering something important. "Shoot! I have to go to the office for my dorm key."

He looked at me and thought for a moment. "I'll wait for you." He said.

I gasped in surprise. "R-Really?! Y-You would d-do that?"

Ranulf shrugged, "Sure. Come, I'll take you."

He walked back to the school and I quickened my pace to follow him. When we made it to the office he leaned against the wall and I walked in. I then walked straight towards the office and knocked on the door.

"Come in." Principal Titania said.

I open the door to see her signing papers. She looked up and smiled.

"Mina! Here for your dorm key?" she asked.

I nodded. She shuffled through her drawers. After a minute, she pulled out a little bag with a key and a piece of paper in it. I walked up and grabbed it from her.

"You are in dorm building 1, ok?"

"Y-Yes, ma'am. Thank you!" I smile and walk out to leave Titania to her papers. As I walked by, I saw a man with red hair and brown eyes. He had a white robe on like a healer's. I then saw a tag that said 'Rhys - Nurse'. Huh. That answers a few of my questions that are running through my head.

He smiled as he passed me and I smiled back. He then walked straight into the office. I thought of a few things but decide to toss them aside and hurry outside.

"Ranulf?" I asked looking around just to see him on the wall.

"So? Why did you need to go to the office?" He asked.

"I'm moving into a dorm room so she needed to give me a key and stuff." I replied.

"Do you need to get your stuff?"

"Yeah, they are back at the inn." I look down and mumble, "Luckily there is not too much stuff to carry."

He obviously heard and asked, "Want help?"

I look up at him obviously shocked. "R-Really? T-Thank you s-so much!"

I start walking and Ranulf follows me. I held on to the bottle that he gave me at lunch. It was half empty so I had plenty to finish off. We left the school and went down three blocks, turned left, went down a block, and there was the inn. We walked up the stairs and into my room. There were boxes around so I knew the owner left those for me. He knew I wasn't staying and was prepared. I will have to thank him later. I put my backpack down on the ground with the water bottle.

"You can put your backpack down, too." I said. He did as told. I turn to Ranulf and asked, "Can you pack up my books for me while I get my clothes?"

He smiled, "Sure."

I blushed but hurried to the wooden trunk. I grabbed a box and started filling it with my shirts, pants, socks, and ect. Before he could start I suddenly yelled, "Wait! I need something from there!" I rush to the bookshelf and reach for the top shelf but it is just high enough so I can't reach it. Then Ranulf's arm reaches above me and grabs the exact book I want.

"This book?" He looks at the title and I blush in embarrassment.

"Y-Yes. I like that book a lot." The book he was holding was The Princess Bride. It is a classic and it's a very sweet story.

"I've heard of it. It is pretty good."

I was shocked, "What?! You think so? I didn't think anyone else knew about it let alone read it. I think it's a shame because it's such a sweet story!"

"I know." He said

"Really?! You like it?" I asked in astonishment.

"Yeah. It was one of my mother's favorites."

I got the book from his hands and put it in my school bag. I needed something to read for tomorrow and that book was perfect. Ranulf then continued packing up the books. I went to the bathroom and collected my stuff in there.

After a few minutes Ranulf called, "I finished packing the books. Is there anything else you need packed?"

I thought for a moment. "Whatever is in the drawers of the table next to my bed should be packed up, the lamp, and there should be a white blanket under the covers. That's it." I called back.

I heard shuffling and the drawers opening. I came back into the room to see him packing up the things including my laptop that was under the bed. I look at the door to see the boxes that were filled with books by it, my school bag, and his.

I took the little bag that held my bathroom things and put it on top of the box. Then I put my box of clothes next to it. I then heard Ranulf come towards me and put the box on top of mine. I look around the room to make sure I left nothing.

"I think that's it…" I thought aloud.

"Let's get going then." He said.

"Ok!" I cheered happily.

I pick up my school bag, water bottle, little bag of bathroom accessories, and the box with stuff from the little table. Ranulf picks up his bag and the two other boxes. The door was open so we had no trouble getting out. I went down the stairs carefully with Ranulf closely following. I hope none of us fall.

We safely made it out and started the walk to my new dorm.

"What building are you?" He asked.

"One."

"Huh…" he said as we walked. I wonder what he is thinking…

Finally, we made it into the building and we went up the stairs till we reached the 4th floor. I was now in front of my new dorm room.

"212. Well this is my room." I said. 'The numbering of the rooms is strange' I thought.

"Ok, well then here." He put my stuff down by the door and turned to leave. "I live downstairs on the second floor in room 110 if you ever need anything or just someone to talk to. See you tomorrow!" He said smiling and left. I felt my face get hot as I reached into my pocket to get my key. As I open the door I hear a beautiful voice come out.

_Little child_

_Be not afraid_

_Though rain pounds harshly against the glass _

_like an unwanted stranger_

_There is no danger_

_I am here tonight…_

As I look in I saw a girl leaning on the bed singing. I look at my little paper that came with the key to see that my roommate's name is Lenna. She has vibrant, aqua hair that is wavy and went to her waist. Her eyes are dark maroon. As I look closer I see a white striped tail and ears. A tiger laguz, maybe? On her lap was a little tiger cub. 'It's so cute!' I thought. I then realize that Lenna looks like someone who held herself up high. I can tell she is an 'I don't care what you say' type. After a minute of singing her head turns to the door and stops abruptly when she sees me.

"What do you want?" she said in an annoyed tone

"A-Are you L-Lenna?" I asked

"No duh Sherlock." she shoot back in an acidy tone, "Who the hell are you?"

"I-I'm Mina, y-your new r-roommate." I said quickly.

"Whatever. Just do whatever and leave me alone."

I brought my boxes into the room and onto my new bed. There are two

twin-sized beds on both sides of the room in their corners. I have the one that is in the corner on the right side (in front of where the door is). There is a simple wooden night stand and lamp next to it. In the middle of both sides of the bed was a large window with curtains that matched the purple wall. Also, to my delight, has a ceiling fan (the inn I stayed at had no fans so it would get hot at night).

On Lenna's side of the room, she has her clothes in a large trunk in front of her bed, no dresser in site. She has a little spot on the side of her bed with things to take care of a cat (next to the night stand). Lenna also has Skillet posters everywhere. (She must like them. I like them, too!) She even has a book case on the other side of wall (basically in front of her bed) with lots of series such as Fruits Basket, Skip Beat, Tail of the Moon, House of Night, Case Closed, Black Cat, and lots of others. Hey, wait a minute, I know those book titles and I just LOVE them!

Lenna got up and left the room along with her iPod that she was listening to humming Bring Me to Life. I recognize it because I heard it a bunch of times before. I find a wooden trunk in front of my bed and start filling it with my clothes. As I'm putting away my clothes, I feel a nudge on my leg and look down. There was the tiger cub Lenna just had on her lap. I kneeled down and petted her. Yep, she is definitely cute! She looked very tired so I sang a song that I knew and like.

_A thousand times I see you standing_

_Gravity like lunar landing_

_You make me want to run until I find you_

_I shut the world away from here_

_Drifting to you you're all I hear_

_Everything we know fades to black_

_Half the time the world is ending_

_Truth is I am done pretending_

I could hear her breathing slowly so I figured she fell asleep. I put her in the bed and finish up the chorus to the song as I pack finish pack up my clothes.

_I, never thought that I, would have anymore to give_

_Pushing me so far, here I am without you_

_Drink, to all that we've have lost_

_Mistakes we have made_

_Everything will change_

_But love will remain the same…_

I finish unpacking and repacking my clothes to find that the bed already has blankets and sheets on it. The blanket is brown with dots on it from big to small and different shades of blue. On the other side of the blanket is dark blue with little white lines here and there. My sheets are white with light blue dots on it along with my pillow case.

I need to buy a bookcase soon so for now I leave my books in there boxes. I found my laptop and put it on my bed for now. I was basically done unpacking when Lenna returned and sat on her bed. I get bored so I decide to get The Princess Bride from my bag and read the part with Inigo's fighting scene. 'Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die!'

"Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die!" I heard Lenna say the exact same time as I read it. Huh?

"W-What did you say?" I ask.

"I said, 'Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die!' Are you deaf or something?" Lenna replies really annoyed.

"No, it's just that you said the exact same line as I am reading right now." I said astounded. "So you like The Princess Bride?"

She got excited, "Like it? I LOVE it! Ok, watch this…" she got up and started to recite a monologue from the book.

"**Vizzini**: A word, my lady. We are but poor, lost circus performers. Is there a village nearby?

**Buttercup**: There is nothing nearby... Not for miles.  
**Vizzini**: Then there will be no one to hear you scream.

**Fezzik**: You never said anything about killing anyone.  
**Vizzini**: I've hired you to help me start a war. It's a prestigious line of work, with a long and glorious tradition.

**Fezzik**: I just don't think it's right, killing an innocent girl.  
**Vizzini**_: _Am I going MAD, or did the word "think" escape your lips? You were not hired for your brains, you hippopotamic land mass.

**Inigo**: I agree with Fezzik.  
**Vizzini**: Oh, the sot has spoken. What happens to her is not truly your

concern. I will kill her. And remember this, never forget this: when I found you, you were so slobbering drunk, you couldn't buy Brandy!  
[_Turning to Fezzik_]

**Vizzini**: And you: friendless, brainless, helpless, hopeless! Do you want me to send you back to where you were? Unemployed in Greenland!

**Inigo**: That Vizzini he can 'fuss'  
**Fezzik**: Fuzz-Fuzz... I think he likes to scream at 'us'.  
**Inigo**: Probably he means no 'harm'.  
**Fezzik**: He's very short on 'charm'.  
**Inigo**: You have a great gift for rhyme.  
**Fezzik**: Yes, some of the time.  
**Vizzini**: Enough of that.  
**Inigo**: Fezzik, are there rocks ahead?  
**Fezzik**: If there are, we are all dead.  
**Vizzini**: No more rhyming now, I mean it.  
**Fezzik**: Anybody want a peanut?  
**Vizzini**: DYEEAAHHHHHH." She said the monologue perfectly and even had the voices of each character down. 'WOW,' I thought, 'she's good!'

"Like it?" she asked after her whole acting scene. Right now, all I could do is gasp and feel happy inside. She is really good!

"T-That was a-amazing!" I said excitedly

She blushed a little, "Thanks!"

After that, we talked for two hours about The Princess Bride. Basically what were our favorite scenes and recited monologues.

It was 9:45pm when we decided it was time to go to bed. As we got ready for bed I kept looking at her cub that woke up after the first monologue Lenna recited. She was always at Lenna's lap or at her feet as she walked.

I mustered up the courage to ask about her. "Why does she always follow you around everywhere?" I asked. Lenna looked at the cub and giggled.

"I rescued her from these 'fur selling people'." She said the last part in disgust. I can imagine why. "I took her in and she follows me everywhere so I call her Kisa. Like from Fruits Basket." Lenna concluded.

"I can see why you giggled." I said trying to contain my own giggles. "Well, we better get some sleep if we are going to wake up in time for school tomorrow. Good night!" I said as I climbed into my bed under the covers.

"Good night, twin!" she said as she climbed into her bed under the covers.

We both turn off our night lights and go to sleep. Before I go to sleep, I think of the little nickname she gave me. For some reason it sounded right. We had so much in common it felt like that we were twins separated at birth.

"Twin…" I whisper before I finally fall asleep. This day wasn't so bad after all.

* * *

**So, what did you think? Please review and tell me! I really appreciate it if people tell me. If I am not told what people think then I don't know how to fix it so it is better for you all to enjoy! Oh, and sorry of anyone was OOC.**

**Also, quick thanks to those that reviewed my last chapter. Your thoughts were really appreciated! ^_^**

**_themindlessemblem_**

**_Predator Drone_**

**_Garnet-Moon_**

**_black or white roses_**

**Thanks you guys! Bye and can't wait to see yah next chapter!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hi! Let me apologize right now for my screw up on the last chapter. In Micaiah's POV, I accidentally had Sothe call her 'Mordecai' instead of her actual name. ^^' I was working really late at that time… But the important thing is that now it is fixed! If you read it with the mistake, you can go check again and see that it is fixed. Also for being super late with this chapter! Can you guys forgive me? :'( *sigh* With that out of the way let's continue the story! :D Oh, and one more thing. If you know the two songs I used in the last chapter, awesome! If you don't, maybe I will be nice enough to tell you… ;)**

**Important Quick Note:**** Lenna's hair is no longer blue but lavender/purple. It also has dark blue streaks in it. There is a link on my home page so you can see what it looks like. ^_^**

_**Disclaimer:**__** I do not own Fire Emblem or anything associated with it. All those things belong to their rightful owners. The only thing I own is my OCs.**_

* * *

Chapter 3:

I found myself on the roof of a school building. I look to my left to see the Beorc side. I must be on the Laguz building, then. How? I don't remember coming here. I look to my right to see Lenna. Her arm is stretched out in front of me to block me from something. What though? I look in front of me to see a bunch of Laguz girls. Three ravens, four cats, and two tigers. What do they want?

"Stay away from Ranulf." A cat laguz said cold and darkly.

Another cat laguz speaks up, "You are nothing but an annoying human! Go and stick with your own kind!" She sounded very pissed off.

"Why should she? Mina can be with whoever she wants." Lenna said defending me. She was pissed off, too.

"Shut up, slut!" a tiger girl shouted. Oh no. She did not just say what I thought she said, did she? Lenna is going to-.

"What did you just call me, bitch?" Lenna shouted angrily breaking my thoughts.

She took a step forward and I quickly grab her and pull her back holding her still. She struggles but I hold on tight. Lenna is very strong!

"Let go! I just want to beat the crap out of them!" Lenna shouted at me.

"No! You need to calm down first!" I yelled back. Tears fall down my face and I can feel her tense.

"…I'm sorry. But they shouldn't get mad at you just because they are jealous, crazy, baka fan girls!"

I would of giggled if it wasn't for the raven girl that took to the air. I could see what was coming. She swoops down and I panic. I shove Lenna to the side and the raven hits me cutting my shoulder. Blood dripped as I fell back and off the side of the building.

"AAAAAH!" I scream sitting up from my bed. I turn on my lamp and look at my roommate. Lenna is still fast asleep. I'm glad she is a heavy sleeper. I giggle quietly as I wipe the sleep out of my eyes. I look at my clock to read it is 5 in the morning. That leaves me two hours to do whatever. There is no way I could fall asleep again after that dream.

I get up from bed and walk to my trunk. I can see a pair of dark blue jeans and a long sleeved yellow shirt with blue/green birds and flowers across the front and put those on. Then I slip on my socks and white sneakers and grab my cell phone along with my dorm room key.

I locate my white light jacked with pink and grey stars all over it and smile. My dad used to say that my 'midnight blue eyes put the stars to shame' and my mom and I laughed at that. I never believed him but he was a funny man.

I put that on, turn off the lamp, and walk out of the room locking the door.

_**Lenna's POV: **_

I open my eyes as soon as I heard Mina lock the door. I sit up and rub my eyes. Why did she scream? Was it a bad dream? She looked like she saw a ghost or something. I look at my alarm and my eyes go wide. 5 o'clock in the morning?! Is that girl nuts?

I hear little meows and something soft on my hand. I look down to see that it is Kisa pawing at my hand.

"It's ok. Go back to sleep, Kisa." I said smiling at her. She is so cute! Kisa goes to the pillow, spins in circles, and laid down to go back to sleep.

I lie down with my head next to Kisa falling back to sleep. Mina better be ok because I swear to God if someone tries to hurt her they'll wish they were never born.

_**Normal POV:**_

I walk down the stairs but I stop at the second floor. 'Ranulf is here…' I thought as my face grows hot. I quickly shake my head and walk down the rest of the stairs. I cross the road that lead straight to the school.

At the little garden place (don't know what to call it) there is a few benches near the fountain with the goddess, Ashera, in the middle. At least I think it's her. I sit on a bench and take a few deep breaths.

I think about the dream. Was it one of those dreams I get that come true? I hope not. Like I hoped two years ago when I had a dream about my parents getting killed. Tears fill my eyes dangerously close to falling.

"Hello? Is someone there?" I hear someone ask. I look up to see that it is Soren. He walks up to me and I quickly wipe my eyes with the back of my hands.

"H-Hi." I quietly say. Why did he have to be out here?

"…What is wrong?" he asks nonchalantly.

I flinch just a little bit. "W-What do y-you mean? I-I'm fine…" 'Please don't dig any deeper, Soren.' I thought. He doesn't need to be troubled by my problems. No one does.

Soren looks at me for a minute. "I don't appreciate it when people lie to me." He finally said.

My body tenses. Even if I do tell him, he won't believe me. I think something up. "It was just this dream I had." It wasn't a complete lie. It was a dream. But it wasn't JUST a dream.

He sighs and sits next to me. "I'll listen."

That was something I did not expect. Especially from him! He comes off as the type of person that doesn't care about anyone. Why would he want to waste his time listening to me?

I sigh. "O-Ok." I take a deep breath. "I have these dreams that come true. The one I just had really scared me." Soren nodded telling me to keep going. "These girls brought me to a roof and, for some reason, my friend was with me. They yelled at me and then…" I stopped.

"And then…?" he asked implying me to finish.

"I then I fall off the roof and down the side of the building." I finished in a big rush.

He glares off into the shadows.

"Do you know when this happens?" he asks.

I shake my head no.

"…If you had a guess?"

"Uh… the Laguz building?"

His eyes went dark. Was it something I said? Unless… he doesn't like the Laguz.

Soren suddenly stands up and starts walking away.

"Wait!" I say really quick. He stops and turns around to look at me. "U-Um… th-thank you for listening to me!" I say with a little bow.

Soren nods and continues on his way. I smile since he was nice enough to listen. I didn't want to tell anyone but talking with Soren made me feel not so alone. But I still wonder why. Why did he want me to tell him? Why would he even care?

I look at the clock tower that is nearby to see it is a little past 5:20. I have plenty of time to do other things. But right now, I suddenly feel tired. I lie down on the bench and close my eyes. 'Only for a few minutes. Then I will go back to my room.' Was my last thought before I slowly drift off to sleep.

_**Ike's POV:**_

I walk around the school looking for my friend. Where could he have gone? Out of nowhere I see someone walk in my direction. I stop to see who it is. As the person comes closer, I can see it is the one I have been looking for.

"Hey Soren! Where have you been?" I ask.

"Just walking around like normal. I'm surprised you are up this early, Ike." he replied.

"We have a lot of papers to go through to organize the events for next month. I thought that we should get it done with." I said.

Soren stares at me blankly. Finally he said, "Let's go and get it done then."

"Alright." We walk together to the office to go through the papers. Hopefully Mrs. Titania will hurry up so she can help us with it.

Then something comes to mind. How does Mr. Rhys handle her? She is busy all the time. Good thing they both work at the school, I guess.

_**Normal POV:**_

"-na? -ina. Mina!" I sit up quickly making my head spin.

I rub my eyes and slowly open them to be welcomed by the morning sun. I look at my legs to see Kisa sitting there pawing at me. I giggle.

"Finally you're up! Why were you sleeping outside?" Lenna asked.

I turn my head to look at her and see she is wearing a cheerleader's outfit. Perfect way to change the subject.

"You cheerlead?" I ask.

It works. She smiles brightly. "Yep! Wanna see a cheer?" she asked excitedly. I could tell she wanted me to say yes.

"Sure, ok." I reply shrugging.

Lenna beams. "Yah!" She took a few steps back and gets into position with pom-poms in hand.

"Hey, you ready? (clap) Hey, hey you ready? Go (clap, clap, broken high V right first)!X2 Shake it to the right (shake, shake, hip{right})shake it to the left (shake, shake, hip{left})come on Ruins fight, fight, fight (toe touch)"

She finishes by doing a back hand spring ending with her hands up in a high V.

The Ruins is the schools fighting team. Basically an arena filled with people fighting using magic, bow and arrows, swords, you name it. Even Laguz fight using their animal form. You have the schools team and a tactician leading them to victory. I've always wanted to do the fighting or be the tactician.

"Wow that was good!" I said clapping and blushing in admiration. There sure is a lot of stuff she can do.

"Well, twin, I wasn't head cheerleader two years in a row for nothing!" Lenna says acting in that 'I know all' kind of way. It made me laughed. Lenna joined in.

I then look at the clock and gasp. It's 7 o'clock already?! "Oh no! I have to pack up my bag for class!" I stand up making Kisa jump off me. "Bye! I'll see you later!" I said to Lenna before running off.

"Bye, twin!" Lenna called back to me.

I sprint out of the school and across the road getting a few stares from students. Once in the dorm I run up the stairs to my room to unlock the door. I pack up my backpack with books and my hournal. I am almost ready to go.

I went to the bathroom to wash my face, brush my teeth, and brush my hair. Now I was ready for school. I grab my bag and run down the stairs. When I reach the second floor I bump into someone making me lose my balance. Before I could fall backwards a pair of hands grabs my arms and steadies me.

I look up and gasp. "R-Ranulf! I-I'm sorry! I d-didn't mean to bump into y-you." I stuttered blushing.

He smirks. "Are you going to bump into me every time I see you?" he asks jokingly.

I blush even deeper. "No, I'm just late this morning! I fell asleep outside this morning and I forgot to pack." I cover my mouth in embarrassment. Why did I tell him that?! Shoot!

His eyes go a little wide. He asks, "Why did you sleep outside?"

I sheepishly smile while trying to find an excuse. Might as well tell him, I guess. "I-I had a bad dream so I went outside. Once I sat at a bench at school, I got tired and fell asleep." I explained not including the part about Soren.

"What was the dream?" he asks worriedly.

"Nothing important." I say a little too quickly.

"Mina…" I could tell he was not convinced.

I look at my cell phone to see what time it is. It is now 7:05. About ten more minutes before class starts.

"Can we talk later? I need to make lunch." I said looking at the ground to avoid his gaze. I was shaking because I didn't want to think about the dream again.

Ranulf's hand holds mine and my face goes burning hot. "Alright. You can use the kitchen on my floor." He walks me to the little kitchen. **[a/n:** **I will try to put a diagram of what each floor of the dorms look like.] **Ranulf then grabs me a paper bag to use while I am looking for bread.

"Did you make lunch already?" I ask.

"No, I have money to buy today."

"Oh, ok."

He laughs. "What? Were you thinking of making me lunch?"

My face didn't cool earlier so it stayed bright red when he asked that. "N-No! W-Why would y-you think th-that?" I stuttered stupidly.

He just laughs and hands me a water bottle. I make two sandwiches. One with jelly jam and the other strawberry jam. I put them in the bag along with the bottle. I didn't move right away. That dream just keeps on flashing in my head and I am honestly scared.

"You coming?" Ranulf asks making me return to reality.

I nod and pick up my lunch bag. Ranulf takes my hand and we walk down the stairs. The warm grip of his hand is the only thing that keeps me grounded and in the present. I smile to myself just grateful to have him around.

We cross the road and past the school gates. An uneasy feeling comes across me. Why do I feel like I am being watched? I look around but no one seems bad. I suddenly feel the urge to look up. When I do, I tense.

"Mina? What's wrong?" Ranulf asks.

I look down but not at him. I squeeze his hand desperate for support. It is that raven girl from my dream! I just know it is!

Ranulf shakes me. "Mina!"

I snap out of it and finally look at him. I feel a sweat drop down my face and my body is trembling slightly. Since I saw that girl does it mean that it is going to come true? My eyes watered and Ranulf's eyes go wide. Then they went normal and the next thing I knew he was hugging me tightly.

"Whatever is wrong, just know that I am here for you." He reassured me.

I look into his mismatched colored eyes. I can see that his eyes held truth in them.

"You promise?" I ask.

"Promise." He said. Then he smirks. "Do I have to carry you to class?"

I push him back with my face a deep red. "N-No! I-I'm fine!"

He laughs. "Ok, ok. What class do you have?"

"Archery."

"Let me walk you there."

My face isn't burning anymore but it is still warm. "O-Ok."

He takes my hand and we walk there together.

_**Leonardo's POV:**_

I made it to archery class with my bow and arrows ready to go. I put my stuff down and walk to a target. No one else is around so it gives me time to practice on my own. I pull out one of my arrows an aim.

"Leo!" I cringe. Can't that idiot just leave me alone for two seconds?

Edward runs to me holding a bow and quiver in his hands. "I found these in our room and thought you left it there." He said.

"I have my stuff, baka." I said showing him my bow. "See?"

"Oh… well, I'm not running all the way back to our dorm room just to put this back! I'll leave it here just in case someone else needs it. Bye!" he says dropping the stuff and running off before I could yell at him. That idiot never runs out of stamina.

I continue practicing when I hear footsteps. Sounds like two people. I turn around and my eyes go wide. It's Mina and she's… holding that Laguz's hand?! It's the one from lunch yesterday. What was his name? Ranulf? Yeah, that's it. Mina notices me and waves with that cute smile on her face. I wave back holding in my blush. I then notice that the Laguz was telling her something but I couldn't hear. She turns her head and nods at him. Finally, he let go of her hand and walks away.

Mina runs up to me and smiles. "G-Good morning, Leonardo!"

"Good morning. How are you doing?" I ask.

"Alright. Y-You?"

"Fine, I guess." I pause looking her over. "Did you forget your bow and quiver?"

_**Normal POV:**_

I gasped. I can't believe I forgot about that! I play with my fingers trying to think.

"Here." Leonardo said suddenly. He hands me a beautiful bow that is white and blue with a matching quiver. "My idiot roommate gave it to me when I already had mine." He explained.

I blush. "Th-Thank you! I-I promise to g-give it back!" I exclaimed.

"No, it's fine. You can keep it." He said nonchalantly.

"Really?! Th-Thank you!" I replied.

Leonardo turns around and back to practice while I find a patch of grass to sit on. I then open my red notebook. I skipped the first page and went to the second one. I pull out my camera (that never leaves my bag except for the weekends) and aim it at Leonardo. Once I had the perfect spot I press the button. Click! I look at the picture and smile. Then I got to work on my sketch.

As more students come I put my camera and notebook away. I pull out my book, The Princess Bride, and start reading that. Leonardo took a break from practice and sat at his spot. He closes his eyes and does nothing more. I just continue to read.

"Everyone, start practicing!" I hear Mr. Shinon yell.

Students immediately grab their things and go to a target. I slowly put my book away and grab my new bow and arrows. I pick up an arrow and aim for the target that I used yesterday. I notice that the bow seemed more like for snipers. Mr. Shinon seemed to notice as well because he was watching me along with a few students. I close my eyes and let go. I hear the arrow fly through the air and hit the target. I slowly open my eyes to see it landed on the bull's eye. The teacher seems pleased with me and everyone else went back to practicing. After that class went on like normal.

Once we were done I packed up my things and start my walk back to the dorms. I need to put my new bow and quiver away. When I do reach the dorms I put my stuff away and back outside I go. I waited for the road to be clear when I recognize the person standing next to me.

"Y-Your Sothe, r-right?" I ask.

He simply looks at me and nods his head. He then says nonchalantly, "I meant to ask you something yesterday."

"Y-Yes? What i-is it?" I ask nervously. What could he want?

"What happened between you and Micaiah yesterday?" I tense a little bit when he asks that. So he noticed the scene when I shook Micaiah's hand and felt something powerful from her. I was hoping no one did.

I don't want to explain anything to him. Might as well play dumb, right? "W-What are you talking about?" I ask. The road cleared and I cross it. Sothe, sadly, easily follows behind.

"You know what I am talking about." He said. His voice seemed just a tinsy bit darker.

"Oh, t-that. Well… I just kind of sensed something with her. Why aren't you asking her?"

"She won't tell me." I am really happy, for some reason, to hear that. Micaiah must have known I didn't want to talk about it.

Sothe opens his mouth to say something but I cut him off. "Well, I got to go to class so… bye!" I say quickly and run off. He is kind of scary to talk to. Deep down I'm sure he is not that bad. Right now though, I do not feel like being around him for another second.

I make it to my class miraculously on time. It is Battle Tactics with Mr. Nolan. I immediately notice three people I know in there. Leonardo, Edward, and Soren. Soren is in the back corner by the window and Leo and Edward are in the middle sitting next to each other. A bunch of guys and girls are surrounding them so they must be popular.

As I look for a place to sit arms go around my stomach and lift me up. "Eep!" I exclaim as I get spun around in a circle.

"I caught you, Mina!" Edward shouts happily as he kept spinning me.

"C-Can you put m-me down, p-please?" I ask. I was getting a little dizzy.

He puts me down and I sigh in relief. I turn to look at him to see him beaming. "Hey, sis! You looked a little down so I thought I'd help make you feel better!"

My eyes go wide and my mouth hangs open. For him joking around, he could tell people's feelings pretty well. Then Leonardo hits across the back of Edward's head. "Baka, don't lift people up!"

I giggle and the group of kids gets around all three of us watching. I blush from the amount of people looking.

"Leo! I was just being nice to Mina!" Edward said whining a little. He then turns toward me while rubbing his head. "Are you ok now?" he asks sweetly.

I nod blushing a light red. "T-Thank you, Edward."

"Come sit next to me, ok?" He looks a little more serious and no longer like a child. So he does have some seriousness in him.

Before I sit I look over to Soren who is starring out the window. I put my stuff down and walk over to him. There are three windows along the wall with ledges so I sit on the one next to the window by Soren. It is nice and clear out with a few white clouds here and there. The sun is high and I can see a few birds flying across the sky.

"How are you doing?" Soren asks.

I look at him but he is still looking out the window. "B-Better, thanks." I reply. I truly did feel better.

This time he does look at me. That's when I, for the first time, notice the mark on his forehead. It's red but I can't make out the shape do to his hair. I think I have seen it before somewhere. Oh yeah! The Dragon Laguz mark. Does that mean Soren is a Branded?

I looked around to see if anyone was listening to us. Just a few kids where in the room buy they were on the other side. Then I whisper, "Isn't the mark on your head of the Dragon Laguz?" I really do want to know.

His eyes went wide. "How can you tell what tribe it's from?" he asks shocked.

"The shape of it. For each Branded a certain mark represents what Laguz tribe they are. Yours is of a dragon." I explained quietly.

Usually the Branded don't want others to know what they are. It can be hard for them since they're half Beorc and half Laguz. Neither really except them as equals. I think it is very cruel.

His face went from shock to bitter anger. "Well, I wouldn't know. I was abandoned when I was little."

I felt bad for him. I wonder if he felt lonely. Then I thought of something. Before I knew it my mouth started to move on its own. "I'm sorry to hear that. But, you know, you still have good friends that are there for you. Even if you have no parents, it's a lot better than knowing them then losing them so soon." He was taken aback. Once what I just said processed in my head, I blushed badly and cover my mouth. "I-I'm sorry! I d-don't know w-why I said t-that!"

The teacher came in at that moment and I sigh in relief. I'm saved from my own embarrassment! Thank you Mr. Nolan!

"Alright class. Please take your seats. We are about to get started." He said.

I walk to my seat next to Edward and sit down. That's when Mr. Nolan began to teach the class.

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**Well, that's it! I hoped you enjoyed this update! I am cutting it short because I don't want to make this chapter any longer than it has to. I promise I will continue the next chapter as soon as I can! Thank you so much and have a good day. Oh, one more thing. I have an important question to ask you guys and you HAVE to answer or else I am stuck. Should Ike have a girlfriend, be single, or be with Soren. You tell me, ok? That's all I have to ask. **

**Now, here are the people that reviewed that I would like to thank:**

_**NasiraWolf**_

_**themindlessemblem (again thank you!)**_

_**Tom Diepstraten**_

_**HappyBunny855 (thank you, buddie!)**_

_**XTwilightxSpiritX**_

**Thank you so much you guys! If you want to be recognized in my next chapter you have to review! Well, till next time! Bye! ^_^**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hi readers! I know I do this a lot but sorry for making you wait! I finally had time over spring break to go ahead and finish the chapter. Yea! *dances around happily* Anyway, last time I asked a question and my friend helped me answer it. Ike will have a girlfriend but I am not telling you who it is. No, it is not Elincia. I think she looks good with Geoffry. I don't know, it's just that I had this girl pictured with Ike for a while so I decided to do that. She won't appear in this chapter but maybe later on in the story. If you have suggestions and it is not the girl I had in mind maybe I will use yours instead. It just depends who it is. So, let us continue on with the story!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fire Emblem or anything to do with the game. Those stuff belong to their rightful owners. I just own my OCs.**

**Quick Note: An anonymous review had asked me a question 'Will there be other villians besides Derek and the fan girls?' and then something to do with Zelgius. I kind of had this idea with him but he won't appear (sadly) till much later in the story. Also, if you have ideas for the story, feel free to tell me. Please! I am open for any suggestions! With that not-so-quick-note done, let's REALLY continue on to the story!**

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Chapter 4:

Mr. Nolan's class wasn't too bad. He was talking basic stuff like where is the best base to be, how to have a good defense, weapons, and other simple things. A folded piece of paper lands on my desk. I pick it up and open it to read.

_**Hey, you ok? -Edward**_

I smile down at the note. Even his writing isn't the best in the world but it is cute. **(a/n: I wish I could show you all the font idea that I had for Edward and Mina but fanfiction won't let me so... yeah.) **I look up to make sure the teacher isn't looking. Then I write in response.

_Yeah, I'm fine. Nothing to worry about! ^_^ -Mina_

I hand the paper to Edward without looking away from the board. He takes it and reads it. He quietly scribbles something down and hands the note back to me.

_**Are you sure? What about you and Soren?**_

_What about me and Soren?_

_**I saw you guys talking. Did he do anything to you?**_

_No, of course not! We just talked about random stuff._

_**Ok. See you at lunch?**_

_Definetly._

_**Yea! Talk to you then!**_

I quickly shove the note in my pocket before the teacher could see it. Luckily I didn't get caught. I then pay attention to class. I know most of my battle tactics. I just would rather see it then have it explained to me. I did learn a few tricks, though. Finally, the school bell rings signaling that class is over.

"Class is over, you may be dismissed. Next class we are going outside to the field to have a tactics pre-test." Mr. Nolan announces. Everyone picks up their stuff up. I stand up to leave when someone grabs my arm.

I turn around to see Soren. "Don't tell anyone."

"I smile trying to reassure him. "Don't worry. I wasn't going to."

He nods and lets go of my arm. Then he walks out of the class. I slowly walk out of the class and down the hallway. Groups of students hang out in the hallways laughing and having a good time while others rush by.

When I walk out I see a blue tail dangling below the branches of the tree outside. I cautiously walk over to see who it is. To my relief, it is Ranulf taking a nap. He looks cute with his eyes closed and his face so relaxed. I felt a blush creep up my face.

I take out my camera and take a shot of him. I put it away carefully when I feel something poke my head. I look up to see Ranulf's tail swaying around. Then I look at him to see that is eyes are open and watching me. I can never get over the fact that he has beautiful mismatched eyes.

"I know I'm popular but it doesn't mean you can take pictures of me without permission." He says coolly. I blush opening my mouth to protest when he jumps down from the tree. A smirk is clearly plastered on his face. "But you are special case." He then raps his arms around me.

"R-Ranulf!" I exclaim. I'm so embarrassed because it feels like everyone is watching us.

I feel his fingers on my chin as they tilt my head up. He leans down with his lips now pressed against mine. Time seems to stop and I can't move. My thoughts are all in a mush and my head spins like crazy. Slowly my eyes close and I kiss him back. It feels good to be close to him and kissing him.

When we broke the kiss my face burns tomato red and I hid my face in his chest.

Ranulf asks, "Is something wrong?" I shake my head no. "Come on, you can tell me." He says trying to make me talk.

I lift my head to look at him. "M-My face i-is embarrassing t-to look a-at." I admit to him.

He laughs. "You have a cute face. What's embarrassing about that?"

I hide my face back in his chest. I wish I could crawl in a hole and be left alone. Ranulf hugs me tight then he lets go. I look at him and see him smiling. My blush fades and I smile back.

"I-I should g-go to l-lunch." I stutter quickly.

"Bye then, princess." Ranulf says. He turns and walks away.

I stand there dumbfounded. How was I a princess? I turn around just to see Lenna standing right in front of me. I 'eep' in surprise. How long was she there for?

"H-How long w-were you th-there?" I ask.

She giggles a little. "Oh, just long enough to see and hear EVERYTHING!" she says excitedly yelling the last word. She squeezes me tightly. "I can't believe it! My little innocent twin got kissed! By Ranulf, most importantly" Lenna is very hyper today.

I struggle in her grip. I need air! "Can't… breathe…" I gasp out.

"Oh, I'm sorry!" she says while letting go. I breathe heavily trying to balance myself. "I can't believe it! I knew you two liked each other from the beginning!"

I blush. "Is it that obvious?" The words slip out of my mouth.

Lenna nods her head up and down excitedly. I sigh trying to make my blush go away. I see Lenna perk her ears and twitch. She then smiles happily. "Mordecai is coming!"

Before I could question her a large guy with huge muscles walks towards us. He has blue hair and matching colored ears and tail. He is wearing a white shirt and black jeans. He is also wearing brown sneakers. Lenna runs up to him and hugs him.

"Mordecai! I'm so glad you're here! You will never guess what happened to Mina!" she says in a big rush. I walk up to them. Mordecai looks like a very nice person. Are they going out? Probably.

"H-Hi." I say shyly to him.

He looks down at me with a kind smile. "Nice to meet you. You must be Mina." He let his hand out and I take it shaking it. His hands are huge compared to mine!

"Come on! Let's go to lunch and eat! I am starving!" Lenna says tugging on Mordecai's arm.

He laughs. "Alright. You can come, too." He says the last sentence to me. I nod my head and we walk together.

When we made it to the cafeteria I could smell the food. It smells like today's lunch is pretty good. I continue to follow Lenna when I hear a familiar voice call to me.

"Mina! Over here!" Edward calls. I turn my head to see him and everyone else sitting at the same lunch table as usual.

I look at Lenna. "Um… Edward is calling me. I promised him that I would sit with him today." I say to her.

She pouts. "But I want to sit with you today."

Someone grabs my arm and pulls me back. I look behind me to see Edward. He seemed to be staring at Lenna.

"E-Edward?" I stutter a little worried.

He smiles that cocky smile at me. "It's ok." He then looks back up at my friend. "She did promise she would sit with me today."

Lenna glares at Edward and snatches me from his arms. "I don't care. She's mine!" she says darkly. I was a little scared of her aura that seemed to leak out of her dangerously. She is very protective.

I whisper to Mordecai. "Mordecai, h-help me."

He carefully takes me from Lenna but she isn't paying attention. She just keeps glaring at Edward and he glares with that cocky smile. I could see the static go between them. Suddenly Edward gets hit in the head by someone. It was Leonardo.

"Ow, Leo! What was that for?" Edward exclaims. Luckily he is back to his normal self.

"Did you forget about Mina? She can make her own choices, baka." He says.

I look at Lenna. "I did promise…" I say slowly. I don't want to get her pissed off. I don't want to be mean to Edward, either. Then I thought of something and whisper in her ear, "Besides, don't you want to be with your boyfriend?"

She looks at Mordecai and he smiles. She blushes but then looks back at me. "…Ok. But you better hang out with me after school, ok?" she says. I nod. She smiles and sweetly says, "Bye then, sweetie!" Lenna takes Mordecai's hand and walks off. I sigh in relief. Thank goodness she is back to her normal self.

"Let's sit down then." Leonardo says. He sounds a little annoyed. We all walk to the table.

"There you guys are!" Micaiah says happily. All three of us sit down. "What happened?" she asks.

I sigh then look at her with a smile. "N-Nothing really." I reply. I then start pulling out food from my lunch bag and eat.

_**Micaiah's POV:**_

I look at Mina as she pulls out her lunch. Something is off with her. I just have this feeling. I look at Leo. He notices this and looks at me confused.

I silently mouth, "What really happened?"

His mouth went 'O' when he figured out what I meant. He then mouths back, "Later."

Even though I really want to know now I nod satisfactily. I then go ahead and eat my lunch while talking to Sothe.

_**Normal POV:**_

Lunch was over quicly and I was glad for it. I wave bye to everyone and leave. When I walk out of the cafeteria I freeze. There, standing in front of me, is the group of Laguz girls. A girl stepped forward. She looks like the leader of the group.

"Come with us." She orders bitterly.

I nod my head and follow them. This is it. My dream-. No. My nightmare is coming true. My fun in this school is going to end. It was nice knowing everyone even though it was short. Ranulf kissed me, too. I blush at the memory. Then the group suddenly stops.

"Move out of the way." The leader says to someone I can't see.

I look around them to see Lenna. Oh yeah… I forgot she was also in my dream.

"Not unless you take me along with Mina." Lenna replys.

"…Fine. But hurry up!"

Lenna walks next to me and we keep on walking.

"So… What's going on? Where are we going, Mina?" she whispers to me. I stay silent.

Lenna takes an index card and a small pen from her pocket. She starts writing something down that I can't se. She then hands it to me. On there is a number and a note at the bottom. **(a/n: I had a cute font for her, too. *pouts*)**

_**If something goes wrong, call this number. My Mordecai will come to the rescue! :D**_

I look at her and smile trying to hold in my laugh. I nod then put the card in my pocket. Lenna smiles back and the walk continues.

We make it to the Laguz building. We climb up the stairs that lead to the roof. The girls make us open the door and go through first. We walk onto the roof with the gentle breeze welcoming us. Lenna and I turn around to see the girls glaring at us. Yep. They are one dedicated group of fangirls.

Lenna lifts her arm protectively in front of me to block me from them. The déjà vu of this scene gives me a headache.

"Let's cut to the chase, shall we? Basically, we want you to stay away from Ranulf." A cat laguz says cold and darkly.

Another cat laguz speaks up, "You are nothing but an annoying human! Go and stick with your own kind!" She sounded very pissed off.

"Why should she? Mina can be with whoever she wants." Lenna says defending me. Just like in my dream she is pissed off, too.

"Shut up, slut!" a tiger girl shouts at her. Here it comes. I better get ready to grab her.

What did you just call me, bitch?" Lenna yells angrily.

She takes a step forward and that was my cue to grab her. She struggles but I hold on tight. Just like from the dream, she is strong!

"Let go! I just want to beat the crap out of them!" Lenna shouted.

"No! You need to calm down first!" I yell back. Even though this already happened before, I just couldn't hold the tears back. She was scaring me along with these girls. Lenna tenses.

"…I'm sorry. But they shouldn't get mad at you just because they are jealous, crazy, baka fan girls!"

The raven girl took to the air. This is it. My end is coming in less than a minute. The girl swoops down and I shove Lenna out of the way. The raven hits me instead cutting my shoulder. Blood drips down my arm as I fall back and off the side of the building.

This time I didn't scream. I saw this coming and I quietly fall down.

"MINA!" Lenna screams.

I close my eyes with tears still escaping them. Goodbye everyone. Lenna, sorry I didn't hang out with you more. Don't be mad with me. A tiger roar makes me open my eyes. The tiger has black and white stripes. I look into its maroon eyes and know exactly who it is.

"Lenna?" I whisper with my eyes wide. She looks so pretty.

Lenna gains speed and falls until she is right underneath me. Then we hit the ground. The sickening sound of bones breaking ring in my ears. I quickly get off and look at her. Somehow, I wasn't hurt. She cushioned my fall.

"Lenna? Lenna!" I say franticly. "Please, wake up!"

Her eyes stay closed and tears fall down my face even more. Quickly, I get the card she gave me and my cell phone. I dial the number and wait shakily.

"Hello?" Mordecai asks sleepily. Did he take a nap?

"M-Mordecai! L-Lenna i-is hurt!" I yell.

"Where are you?" he demands.

"T-The Laguz b-building."

"I'll be right there." I hear the phone click and a long buzz after it. He hung up. I close my phone.

Two minutes later Mordecai arrives running to Lenna and kneels down by her head. He was shocked by how bad she looked.

"Go get Titania." Mordecai orders.

I don't want to leave her. "But-."

"Now!" his voice booms.

I jump up and sprint to the main building. The tears keep falling so my vision is blurred. I bump into a few students but that doesn't stop me. I burst through the door. I then open the door to Titania's office. Principle Titania looks up from her paperwork and is shocked once she sees me.

"Mina? What's wrong?" she asks standing up.

I take a few minutes to catch my breath. Then I explain really fast, "L-Lenna is h-hurt! Th-These girls pushed m-me off t-the r-roof then s-she jumped and c-cushioned my f-fall. N-Now she won't w-wake up!" I fall to my knees and cry into my hands.

"Let' s go, then." Titania says while lifting me from the ground.

Once I got my balance on my feet I nod at her and we run out of there. After what seems like forever I see a group of students in a circle where Lenna should be.

"Move out of the way!" Titania yells at the crowd.

They quieted down and immediately move out of the way. She steps through them with me following behind. When I see Lenna she is in her human form. Mordecai must have helped her transform back. Speaking of Mordecai, he is still next to her but now on his cell phone talking to someone. In the distance I hear the ambulance's sirens. The crowd breaks apart when two medics come with a stretcher. Mordecai closes his cell phone. Lenna is then gently lifted from the ground onto the stretcher.

"Get back to class." The principle orders. The students did as told and left whispering to each other.

"What do you think happened?" asks a student.

"I don't know. All I know is that all the exciting things happen to that new girl." Another student replies.

I stand there before catching up to the medics and walking next to Lenna. We make it to the ambulance truck and they put her in.

"C-Can I p-please sit w-with her?" I shyly ask. I really don't want to be away from her.

"Sure, hop in." a medic answers. It's a nice guy with brown hair and eyes.

I step in before the doors shut and I sit next to her. The sirens start back up and we are now heading towards the hospital. I take Lenna's hand and squeeze it tight. 'Hang in there. You are going to be fine.' I mouth to her. The ride then stayed silent.

_**Ranulf's POV:**_

I was heading to class when I see Mordecai leaving the main building.

"Mordecai!" I yell to him. He sees me but he looks sad. I run over to him. "What's the matter?" I ask casually. Mordecai was rarely down like this.

"Lenna got hurt and is now in the hospital. Mina is with her." He says.

My ears perk at the sound of Mina's name. "Mina is not hurt, too, is she?" I ask worried.

Mordecai shakes his head no. I sigh just a little bit relieved. Then I remember that his girlfriend is hurt.

"How did Lenna get hurt?" I ask.

"I don't know. Mina was really upset so I didn't ask. I'm going to the hospital. Want to come?"

"Yeah."

We then walk to the hospital. How did Lenna get hurt? How is Mina involved? Oh, Mina, you better be ok.

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**So, what do you guys think of this chapter? Was it ok? Exciting enough? Please review and let me know what you think. I truly do care what you guys have to say! I do pay attention because you guys mean that much to me. If I didn't have you guys reading this, I would feel like this story is nothing but a waste of space on the internet. It's the truth!**

**My thanks to the following reviewers:**

**_Tom Diepstraten (again, thanks)_**

**_HappyBunny885 (thanks for also helping me with the Ike issue)_**

**_Reni (I hope I answered your question good enough)_**

**_Iline (thanks for thinking I'm awesome because you're awesome, too)_**

**Again, if you want to be recognized in my next chapter you just have to review! See you next chapter! Bye! ^_^**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hi everyone! I think I am super late with this update so please forgive me! I know I say 'sorry' a lot but I truly do mean it! Let me apologize ahead of time for something else. This is my longest chapter ever so if it is too long I am so sorry. On word document, it came out at 17 pages! When I looked through my notebook, the one I write my chapters in before typing it, it seemed long but I thought it would come out short on Word. I was wrong! I had more on this chapter but when I realized it was long I cut some pieces out so they can be in the next chapter. Well, anyway, I hope you like this chapter! Personally, I like it. I think it is interesting. (Not to be a narcissist like Naru from Ghost Hunt!)** **XD Anyway, let's get this story started!**

**_Disclaimer:__ No matter how much I want to, I do not own Fire Emblem or the characters. Well, maybe it is for the best. ^^'_**

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Chapter 5:

It took ten minutes for us to reach the hospital. The medics told me to sit in the waiting room and that's exactly what I do. I am so worried about Lenna! Her bones had cracked when we hit the ground. It's my fault she got hurt. I should have said no to those girls. I should have said no to Lenna when she followed me. I should be the one that's hurt, not her. She doesn't deserve this.

The door to the hospital opens and I look to see who is entering. It was a woman who is pregnant sitting in a wheelchair. The baby is probably about to be born. She screams once and what I assume to be her husband wheels her in trying to comfort her. Another scream is heard as they rounded the corner. The doors open again to reveal two familiar faces. I run up to great them.

I run to Ranulf and he hugs me tight. "Oh, Mina. I'm so sorry." I lost control and start crying in his chest.

"I-It's my f-fault!" I sob.

I get these dreams and I don't use them to help me. I just keep denying them thinking they are not real. First my parents die and now Lenna is terribly hurt. She might even die because of me!

"No, it's not." Ranulf says as he rubs my back. I calm down and manage to stop crying.

"Do you know how Lenna's doing?" Mordecai, the second person that came in, asks worried. I shake my head no. "What happened to Lenna?"

My body tenses. I don't want to awnser his question. It's terrible and it's my fault. But, he has the right to know. "It started with me leaving lunch. A group of Laguz girls came up to me and told me to follow them. I did not think much of it." I know that part is a lie but they don't need to know about my dreams. They would never believe me. "Then Lenna showed up and insisted that she came along, too." Mordecai smiles at that part. "We went to the roof of the Laguz building and they start yelling at me. They were mad about something." There was no way that I could tell Ranulf that it was his fan club trying to keep me away from him. I don't think he even knows that he has one. "Then one tried to attack Lenna but I pushed her out of the way and I get hit so I fell off the roof." Both of them become wide eyed. "Lenna transformed and cushioned my fall resulting in her getting hurt and not me." I finish. I somehow told it without crying. I'm probably too tired to cry anymore.

"Mina…" Ranulf says quietly.

A doctor walks around the corner to great us. "Are you the friends of Lenna?"

"Yes." Mordecai and Ranulf say together. I can only nod.

"This way, please." We all follow him down the halls.

We have to climb a flight of stairs to the second floor. After walking down the hallway passing a dozen doors we stop at a door. It is at the end of the hallway. I stared at the door like it would suddenly open on its own. Like we would walk in and we see her jump around awake and perfectly fine as if nothing happened and things were normal. But, the truth is, when we do open the door and enter I stop dead frozen. It looks bad. Lenna is lying on the bed. She has small tubes and other things connected to her and next to her is the machines beeping with her heart. That's it. This is too much for me to handle. I fall over and faint.

"Mina!" Is the last thing I hear as strong arms catch me and I close my eyes passing out.

For a moment my world seems and dark and there is nothing I can see. But I open my eyes and there are flowers everywhere. I am standing in a meadow and I am bear footed. I am wearing a white dress, long and flowing, with spaghetti straps. My hair is in a braid with a pink ribbon in it. This is a beautiful place. I run across dancing around. The sky is light blue and gorgeous with the sun's rays hitting my skin keeping me warm. I feel like I'm glowing. A lake appears so I sit by the edge. Suddenly, Ranulf sits next to me and takes my hand.

"Ranulf…" I say relaxed.

He just squeezes my hand tighter. I lean my head against his shoulder. I close my eyes. I hear voices around me hushed and whispering. That's when reality hits me hard. I can feel blankets on top of me the still air of the room, and someone holding my hand. I open my eyes. I really am in the hospital but this time I was lying in a bed. The light hurts my eyes so I blink a few times.

"Look, she's waking up!" a voice exclaims.

"Sh! Don't be so loud! She's been through a lot already." Another voice says.

"You know she can hear you guys, right?" a girl's voice says.

They all went quiet as I slowly sit up. My head spins dizzily and I put my free hand on my head. Wait. My free hand? I look down at my other hand to see someone holding it.

"Ranulf." I whisper softly. His head is on the bed sleeping while sitting on a chair.

"Yeah. He's been here the whole time. We just got here ten minutes ago." Micaiah explains.

I look up to see that the whole crew is here. Edward and Leonardo are standing at the foot of the bed. Micaiah and Sothe are sitting in the chairs that are against the wall. It makes me happy to see that everyone is here.

"You seem to like him a lot." Edward states.

I blush. "W-Why do y-you say th-that?" I ask embarrassed.

"Well, the obvious thing is that he is holding your hand. You blush a lot around him. Oh, and you said his name while you were asleep."

My face turns a nice bright pink. Everyone sees my embarrassed face and they laugh.

"Edward! Don't embarrass her!" Micaiah says.

"Sorry." He mutters cutely. He comes up to me and hugs me. "You know I didn't mean to, sis." My blush turns red.

I hug him back. "I-It's fine."

He lets go of me. Then I remember that Lenna is still in her hospital room. Is Mordecai still in there with her? I want to go see her. Hopefully I wouldn't faint again like before. What time is it? I look around for a clock. There is one hanging on the wall that reads 2:35. School was over twenty minutes ago. I came to the hospital around 11:00. I was asleep for that long? Wow.

"Oh shoot! I have to leave for basketball practice!" Edward shouts suddenly. He is looking that the same clock as me. "I'm sorry but I have to go! Get better, Mina!" He runs out of the room. It goes quiet for a moment. Edward comes back suddenly grabbing Leonardo's wrist.

"Hey!" Leo yells as he gets dragged out. More yelling is heard before it becomes quiet again.

"I better go home, too. You look like you could use some more rest." Micaiah says as she stands up. I didn't feel like talking much so I just nod. "Bye! Get better!" she says walking out. Sothe follows right behind her. Before he steps through the doorway he stops and turns his head to me.

"…Bye." He then walks through the doorway.

The room was nice and quiet. I look down at my hand that is being squeezed by Ranulf's hand. I want to see Lenna but I also want to go outside. I better wash my face, though.

"I'll be back soon." I whisper. His grip did not loosen. I kiss his hand. That's when the grip loosens. I gently pull my hand out and climb out of bed.

I walk to the bathroom and wash my face. I look down at myself noticing that I am wearing a white shirt and pants. They must be hospital clothes. They do feel nice and soft. I leave the bathroom to go back to my hospital room. When I enter the room I see Ranulf sitting up and rubbing his eyes.

"I'm sorry! I-I didn't mean to w-wake you up!"

He looks at me and smiles. "It's fine." I smile back. I sit down and clutch my head. For some reason I am feeling dizzy again. Ranulf sits next to me holding my hand. "You ok?" I nod and lean my head against his shoulder.

A group of people start walking into the room. Ike, Soren, a girl with wavy brown hair, and three guys who

has green hair. One looks like he is a teacher fromm school, one looks like he is in the same grade as Ike, and the other looks like a first year in high school along with the girl. I think he is in my archery class.

"Hi, Mina. How are you doing?" Ike asks. Soren sits down reading a green book. Isn't that a wind spell book? Yeah, a tome.

"I'm o-ok, thanks." I smile removing my head from Ranulf's shoulder. Then I look at the people I don't know.

Ike notices this. "Oh! This girl is Mist, my sister. The tall guy is Mr. Oscar. He teaches the after school cooking class."

"You should come sometime!" Mist adds quickly. I nod smiling.

Ike continues. "The one next to him is Boyd, his brother. Then the other one is Rolf, their little brother."

"Hi." They say at the same time. I nod to them.

"I think I have seen you in Uncle Shinon's class." Rolf says.

"Y-Yeah. I-I think I h-have seen you, t-too." I state in reply.

"Uncle Shinon says you are really good. Everyone heard that your friend got hurt and that you had a cut. He then muttered something about 'she better get better soon' or something like that." Rolf says laughing.

"You can't get anything past us teachers." Mr. Oscar laughs.

"Yea! Bad for us who like to pull pranks!" Boyd says laughing while putting his arm on Ike's shoulder.

Mist says sternly, "Well, maybe you shouldn't do that then!"

"Oh come on, Mist. You know he isn't going to change." Ike says laughing.

"Yeah, I guess you're right." Mist says smiling gently.

It feels nice to meet all these nice people. Soren is still reading that tome of his. I wonder if I can look at it at some point. I then remember that I have a cut on my so I look at it. It is wrapped in a white bandage nice and tight.

"You ok?" Rolf asks me.

"Huh?" I ask a little disconnected. "Oh, I-I'm fine th-thanks." I reply quickly.

"Oh! I better go home! So many things I need to do! Bye! Get better soon, Mina!" Mist says. Then she leaves.

"I better get home and start cooking dinner." Mr Oscar says. He then walks out waving.

Everyone else stays and starts chatting. Ranulf joined in the conversation at some point and it was interesting to listen to them. Soren would only talk if someone said something to him. Even then he wouldn't stop reading and they would be short remarks.

I stand up. "I'll be right back." I didn't wait for a response as I left the room. I really need some fresh air.

I walk down the long hallways trying to find the stairs. I spot Lenna's room take a quick peek in it to see that she is still asleep. Mordecai is sitting next to her watching her carefully. I don't want to bother him so I keep walking. Finally, I find the stairs. Should I go to the front entrance or the roof? The roof gives more privacy so I better go up. I climb the stairs and open the door to outside. Outside the sky is still blue and the sun is up. Not as high as earlier, but it is still bright and warm. On the roof, I see a guitar case and a piece of paper. I go over to read it. Who would leave a guitar outside? It reads

_**To whoever finds this guitar,**_

_**I can no longer play this beautiful instrument. Please take good care of it. It is important to me so it would do me good to know that someone is making good use of it. Thank you!**_

I put the note down and open the case. Inside sits a beautiful guitar with a blue pick resting on top of it. Wow. It is just amazing. With its tan colored wood and black straps with green lizards on it. I pick up the guitar, sit down, and choose a song to play. A familiar song comes to me as I start strumming.

_Kiss me_

_Out of the bearded barley_

_Nightly _

_Beside the green, green grass_

_Swing, swing_

_Swing those spinning steps_

_You will wear those shoes and I will _

_Wear that dress, oh_

_Kiss me_

_Beneath the milky twilight_

_Lead me_

_Out on the moonlit floor_

_Lift your open hand_

_Strike up the band _

_And make the fireflies dance_

_Silver moon sparkling_

_So kiss me_

_Kiss me_

_Down by the broken tree house_

_Swing me_

_Up on the dangling tire_

_Bring, bring_

_Bring your flowered hat_

_We'll take the trail marked on your_

_Father's map, oh_

_Kiss me_

_Beneath the milky twilight_

_Lead me_

_Out on the moonlit floor_

_Lift your open hand_

_Strike up the band _

_And make the fireflies dance_

_Silver moon sparkling_

_So kiss me_

_La, la, la_

_La, la, la_

_La, la, la…_

I feel like I am being watched so I look around. Leaning against the door is none other than Soren. When did he come to the roof? Also… how long has he been standing there?

I blush in embarrassment. "U-Uh. H-Hi."

He moves from the door to where I am sitting. He then sits down next to me.

"What song did you just play?" he asks.

"Oh, it's 'Kiss Me'. My dad taught me the notes and my mom helped me with the lyrics.

My mind wonders back to the story my mom and dad told me all the time. My dad was a musician and my mom was a singer. That's how they met, actually. They were both performing at the same pub. They decided to perform together and that's how they hit it off. They traveled to many places together performing in front of people. Eventually they got married, moved in a little town, and had me. The town was surrounded by the wilderness with beautiful trees, flowers, animals, and other things that made it peaceful. My mom and dad worked to support our family. Even though they were busy all the time it was still good times.

"You are a good performer." Soren says interrupting my little flashback of memories.

I look at the ground blushing some more. "Th-Thank y-you." I reply the best I can. I can't believe he said a compliment! I thought he was going to say something else.

It goes quiet. I look up to see him looking at nowhere in particular. I notice dark circles under his eyes. Is he tired? He must work hard. I wonder what he is thinking, though. What goes through his mind? I can never tell since his face is always expressionless. I wonder…

I take a deep breath. I ask, "A-Are you tired?"

Soren looks at me with wide eyes. He quickly returns to normal, though. "Of course not."

I smile inwardly to myself even though my face stays blank. "Lie down and close your eyes."

"What?" he says glaring at me.

"Trust me." He doesn't move or say anything. "Please? I'm not going to do anything." I try again. Finally, he closes his eyes. I get my (since it's now mine) guitar ready. Then I gently strum and play a song I love.

_I don't know you_

_But I want you_

_All the more for that_

_Words fall through me_

_And always fool me_

_And I can't react_

_And games that never amount_

_Too more than they're meant_

_Will play themselves out_

_Take this sinking boat_

_And point it home_

_We've still got time_

_Raise your hopeful voice_

_You have a choice_

_You make it now_

_Falling slowly_

_Eyes that know me_

_And I can't go back_

_Moods that take me_

_And erase me_

_And I'm painted black_

_You have suffered enough_

_And warred with yourself_

_It's time that you won_

_Take this sinking boat_

_And point it home_

_We've still got time_

_Raise your hopeful voice_

_You have a choice_

_You've made it now_

_Falling slowly_

_Sing your melody_

_I'll sing along…._

Soren's breathing has slowed down. I look at him to see that he is asleep. I smile to myself. He looks nice when he is asleep. He looks defenseless and is not glaring at anyone. If he could only look this calm all the time I think more people will be able to talk to him. I wonder if he even cares.

"Wow, that's impressive!" a voice says in astonishment. Startled, I look over to the door to see Ike standing there. "I was wondering where he went to. That last thing I expected was to see him asleep. You must have used magic or something." Ike says chuckling.

"H-Huh?" I ask confused. What does he mean by magic?

"It's hard for him to trust people so for him to sleep in front of you is incredible!" he says still amazed.

I look at Soren. That does sound like him. Why would he sleep in front of me if he doesn't trust anyone (except for Ike)? "H-He was probably j-just that t-tired." I quickly reply blushing.

"Uh-huh…" he says with a certain tone. I can tell he doesn't believe that was reason. I know what I said wasn't true, too. Honestly, though, I don't know what else it can be. Even if he was that tired, I thought that Soren might have been stubborn and ignore it. "Oh well, I better take him back home. My sister will probably be cooking something." He then mumbles, "Or at least try to."

I hide my giggle as I smile. "B-Bye then."

He comes over, picks Soren up, and leaves through the door. I play another song when the door opens again. I continue to play as the footsteps come closer.

"You truly are a princess." Someone whispers in my ear.

I stop playing and lean away to look at the person. I blush like crazy. "R-Ranulf!" I exclaim.

Ranulf sits down next to me. "So this is where the princess is hiding."

"I-I just needed s-some fresh air. I found this guitar."

He studies it for a moment. "It's a nice instrument. I didn't know you play guitar, though."

I nod my head. "It's one of the classes I am taking. I also like to draw."

He smiles brightly. "Really? I would like to see your drawings sometime!"

I blush again. "O-Ok."

It was quiet for a little bit. It wasn't an awkward silence but a calming silence. "You know," Ranulf says, "my mom used to draw. She loved to draw flowers." I look him in the eyes and freeze. He is smiling but his eyes look so sad. I put my guitar down. I then hug Ranulf tightly. Poor Raulf. Did something happen to his mom? I don't know what it is but I feel like I want to take the sadness away. Just have them fly away in the breeze or I hold on to it for him. I feel his arms wrap around me. "Thank you."

Coughing can be heard and I look over to see Boyd standing there. The door is partially open to reveal Rolf peaking through it. "Sorry to interrupt you two lovebirds but the doctor wants to see Mina.

I blush but quickly let go of Ranulf. He stands up and helps me up. He lifts me up and my stomach rests on his shoulder. What the heck?

"H-Huh?" I stutter in surprise.

"Come on, let's go." Ranulf says as he starts walking. Rolf goes to where my guitar is and packs it to pick it up.

"P-Please be careful w-with that!"

"Don't worry. I'll be careful!" Rolf says and smiles. I give a small smile in return.

Boyd opens the door and we go through. I look up to see Boyd watching us. I blush but quickly look down. I see the stairs pass from underneath us. Ranulf's tail is swaying from side to side and I watch it somewhat fascinated. It is a nice blue that matches his hair. We are now in the hallway of the hospital. I can feel the stares of people walking by. I blush as I lift my head and try to look at Ranulf.

"Ranulf. C-Can you please p-put me down?"

His eyes glance over at me. He smirks. "No." My eyes go wide. "The princess needs to save her energy." Why does he keep referring to me as a princess?

"B-But I can walk j-just fine!" I protested.

"Let's see what the doctor says, ok?"

I give up. "…Ok." I relax patiently waiting to get back to the room. When we do make it the doctor is standing there waiting.

"Ah, hello. Are you Mina?" he asks kindly smiling. Ranulf puts me down and now I can get a better look of him. He has short blonde hair and baby blue eyes. He looks kind of young. Maybe late 20's?

"Y-Yes." I reply with a blush smiling.

"I'm just going to check a few things and then you should be ready to go."

I sit on the bed and did as told. He uses a stethoscope to make sure I am fine so I in and out. Then he checks my blood pressure. He shines a mini flashlight into my eyes and tells me to follow it. Finally, he looks in my ear and at my tongue. It was basically a normal check-up. He does check my arm, though. He unwrapped the bandages and I can see a fine line on my arm. It is long but at least it wasn't deep. No stitches for me! He gets a new bandage and puts in on for me. He says it is to protect the scratch.

"Alright, you are done. You may go sign out when ready. A nurse will be here in a minute with your clothes and other things."

"Th-Thank you." He then walks out. As soon as he does a nurse comes in with a pile of stuff. She has short brown hair and matching eyes.

"I believe these belong to you?"

"Y-Yes, thank you." I say as I take my clothes, bag, and light coat from her. She then walks out. I turn to Ranulf. "Can you please hold my school stuff while I get changed?" I ask.

He holds his arm out. "Yeah, sure." I hand him my bag and jacket. Then I walk to the bathroom.

I go in the stall and carefully remove the shirt so I don't hurt my newly bandaged arm any further. When I put my normal shirt back on I see the ripped sleeve and the blood stains. My mind flashes back to when I got hurt and fell. I better check on Lenna before I leave. I finish getting changed glad to finally have socks and shoes on my feet again. I leave the bathroom and Ranulf is standing in the hall.

"Thanks for holding my stuff." I say gratefully.

"No problem. Want to go visit Lenna? Mordecai should still be there with her." I nod enthusiastically. He smiles. "Alright then." I slip on my bag and hold my jacket.

We walk down the long hallway passing the dozen doors. We then stop in front of the door we are looking for. Honestly, I am scared to go in. What if she is doing worse than before?

"Mina." My head jolts up to look at Ranulf. "Don't worry, ok?" I nod. I take his hand and he opens the door.

Once we were inside I freeze (again). All of those tubes attached to her and her leg wrapped up. I guess that's the bone that cracked. The machines are beeping showing how she is doing. Her eyes are closed. Mordecai is sitting next to her. I squeeze Ranulf's hand tightly. It's my fault she is hurt this bad. It's my fault that she is here with a broken leg and possibly other injuries. It's my fault that Mordecai looks so sad. He is so worried about Lenna that it makes my heart drop. I'm such a horrible friend.

Tears fall down my cheeks. "I'm so sorry. This is my fault. I'm so stupid." I whisper.

"Mina, it's not your fault." Ranulf tries to reassure me. Mordecai just looks at me with sad eyes.

"Yes it is!" I snap at him. I immediately regret yelling at Ranulf. "I-I'm sorry." I whisper as I look down at the ground with shame.

"Mina…"

"What is with all the yelling?! I already have a blasted headache!" Lenna yells. I look up at her in surprise. Lenna is sitting up clutching her head. Mordecai is next to her calming her down.

"Lenna." I say in bewilderment. She looks over at me. "Lenna!" I let go of Ranulf's hand and run over to her side and hug her. "I-I'm so glad y-you're ok!" I exclaim through tears.

She hugs me gently. "Hi, Mina. You know… you are so sensitive."

I laugh. "Yeah, I-I know." I let go of her and quickly rub my eyes. "H-How are you d-doing?"

"Besides the headache and being stuck in this place I'm fine." She says smiling.

I look at my feet to hide my face. "I'm sorry."

She looks at me with wide eyes. She violently shakes her head side to side. "It's not your fault! It was my choice to save you!" I look up at her. Then she starts explaining, "If I didn't save you, you would be here in even worse condition than I am. Laguz have stronger bodies than Beorc."

I look back down at the ground. "Yeah, but those girls didn't want you. They were after me."

"I don't care! You're my twin and I am going to protect you no matter what!" Lenna says determined. My eyes go wide. Slowly, I processed what she said. I relax into a smile. I'm glad I have her around.

"Thank you." I simply say.

She smiles back. "Anytime, Mina." She then goes back to complaining. "The food here is going to suck! I am going to be so bored until I finally get out!"

I think for a moment. Suddenly, I get this idea. I dig into my backpack for a good minute. Lenna watches me with obvious curiosity. Where is it? It was in here a minute ago. Finally, my hand finds what I am looking for. I pull it out and put it in front of her face. It only takes her a second to smile, squeal, and snatch the book from me.

"The Princess Bride!" She looks up at me. "You sure it's ok for me to borrow it?" I nod smiling. She squeels again and reads immediately.

"I got to go sign out so bye!" I say to her. She waves without removing her gaze from the book. I turn towards Ranulf, who has been talking to Mordecai, patiently waiting for him.

"Bye Mordecai. Don't stay for too long now." Ranulf says.

"Bye Ranulf. Don't worry about me. Bye Mina." Mordecai says. I simply wave at him as we exit the room. We walk down the hallway until we reach the counter.

"Hello! Are you ready to sign yourself out?" a lady with short pink hair asks.

"Y-Yes." I reply.

"Alright. Here is the clipboard ad a pen." She says handing me both items. "Just print your name at the bottom. Underneath that sign your name and date." She instructs me. I do as told. Then I hand it back to her. "Have a good day!" she exclaims sweetly.

"Th-Thank you. Y-You too." I reply leaving with Ranulf right next to me. Even though it feels like much later the sun has barely moved since earlier. I take out my phone and look at the time.

"What time is it?" Ranulf asks.

"3:16." I say a little bit shocked. Wow, I am so tired.

"It feels like much later, doesn't it?" he asks.

"Y-Yeah. That's what I was just thinking."

Ranulf takes my hand. I blush a little. His hand feels warm against mine. "You ok? Why were those group of girls mad at you?"

I desperately look for a way to awnser him. "I'm fine. Th-Those girls were m-mad at me for something I don't e-even remember."

"You sure?" Ranulf asks. I nod not trusting my mouth. I feel like blurting the whole truth out. He stops and hugs me tight. "I feel like you are hiding things from me. Why? Don't you trust me?"

"O-Of course I-I do." His chin rests on the top of my head. "I-It's just… s-something I c-can't tell you. N-Not yet." Ranulf moves his head and I look up at him. "Please? I'll tell you another time."

He thinks for a minute studying me. "Ok."

I smile brightly. Then, while blushing, I kiss him on the cheek. "Let's get going." I get out of his hug and take his hand. We continue to walk back to the dorms.

It is quiet along the roads. It got a little windy but I manage. We pass neighborhood and finally I put my coat on. We pass this one store with clothes and accessories. Nearby is a jewelry store and a restaurant near there. I think we were in a shopping market. It is very busy all of a sudden with people shopping around and talking to one another. I squeeze Ranulf's hand for reassurance. I don't like to be alone in a crowd. Thank goodness Ranulf is here with me. He gently guides me through the crowd. When we get through I sigh in relief.

"You don't like big crowds." It was more of a statement then a question.

"K-Kind of." I reply anyway. Big crowds make me nervous. It's not as bad as I am being alone in the dark, though. I am very weird. I am scared of the dark but I like to be outside at night. I don't like huge crowds but being alone makes me feel sad. Something must be wrong with me.

"Well, if you ever need me I'll be there."

I look up at him. He is looking at me with a gentle smile. I blush but nod. "Th-Thank you. I-I would l-like that." I smile back.

Before I knew it we were back at the dorms. It was nice having that walk back. The sun keeps getting lower and lower. This day is flying by fast. I can't wait till it is night. Then I can fall calmly asleep. We walk up the stairs. We pass the second floor but Ranulf stays with me. He is such a nice guy. When we got to my room I feel reluctant to go in. Lenna won't be in there waiting for me. I will be alone and by myself.

"Well, bye." I say to Ranulf.

"Bye. Get some rest, ok?"

"Ok." I reply with a nod. He lets go of my hand. I turn around to go inside when arms wrap around me. I can't help but blush for the hundredth time. "I-I'll be fine. No need t-to worry." Ranulf spins me around and kisses me on the lips. Then he walks away waving and smiling. Why does he do this to me? I'm not that pretty.

I enter the room. I hear a little 'meow' sound right below me. I look down to see Kisa sitting by my feet looking lost. The poor thing must miss Lenna. I pick her up and cuddle her in my arms. I know how she feels right now. Lonely and sad knowing that someone is missing. I place her on my bed and I sit down on the bed.

I take my camera and notebook out. I go to my laptop and plug the camera in. I had three new pictures on it. One is of Leonardo at practice. Another one is of when Ranulf was sleeping in the tree. The third one is of Lenna. She must have taken a picture of herself when I wasn't looking. She does look pretty, though. With her purple hair and blue streaks. Her maroon eyes gleams naturally with her smile. I print the pictures from a printer that I noticed was in the room the other day. That has to be Lenna's. The pictures print out. When I get them in my hands I start to work.

I take my notebook and pencil and start drawing pictures. On the first blank page that I can find I sketch out Ranulf. I make sure I have the lines and shapes correct. Then the drawing of the tree came next. When I was done with that the background is drawn. I add details where they are needed and darken lines that need to stand out. I don't feel like coloring right now so I flip the page in my notebook and draw Leonardo. He is holding is bow out and ready to shoot. The sun is behind him so he has this glowing look about him. I draw in details and everything like in the picture. That is why I take pictures. So I can draw them in my notebook and make any changes that I want. I barely make any changes but I like doing so if needed to. Finally, I flip the page and draw Lenna. I like drawing her hair and the blue streaks. I have to remember to color these drawings when I get a chance. Once I am done drawing her I feel really tired. I lie down and close my eyes.

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**So, did you like this chapter? I will try to update the next one as soon as possible. Oh, and I have news. There is a new game on the fanfiction games list called 'Fragile Dreams'. It is such an amazing game and I am glad they finally put this on fanfiction. I am considering whether to try to type up one myself. But, then again, I need to use my consentration on this one. ^^' If you guys want to go at it, be my guest. I will definetly read it. ^_^ Here is my usual thanks to those who have reviewed.**

**_Kamai-Rui_**

**_HappyBunny885_**

**_lyokolife6_**

**_SunLord89_**

**_Iline_**

**Thanks so much to all of you guys. If you want to be part of the list in the next chapter, review! It's not that hard! Just press that button on the bottom of the page! It says 'Review this Chapter' with a cute little bubble next to it. Please click on it and tell me your thoughts! :)**


	6. Chapter 6

**Hi everyone! I am super, super, super sorry this is so late! I have been so busy with exams at school that I kind of forgot to work on this. Everytime I had free time in school I wrote in my notebook. I hope you enjoy this chapter! I'm not sure what to think of it. I kind of had a writers block but I somehow pushed through! Today was my last school so I am happy! Anyway, enjoy this chapter (that is way overdue)!**

**_Disclaimer: I do not own Fire Emblem or anything with it. Those things belong to their rightful owners. I just own my OCs._**

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Chapter 6:

I wake up with a jump. I look at the clock and I can feel my eyes grow wide. It reads 6:15. I'm kind of hungry. I hear knocking on the door and I quickly close my notebook that was left open on the floor. I walk to the door and open it. Ranulf is standing there with a plastic bag in his hand.

"You hungry?" Ranulf asks. Right at that moment my stomach grumbles and I quickly hug it. I blush and Ranulf laughs. "I guess my intuition was right!" I open the door wider so Ranulf can walk into the room. He walks in and I shut the door. "You don't mind Chinese, do you?"

"N-No, that's f-fine." He sits down on the ground. I grab my pillow and hand it to him. "You can sit on this."

"Thanks." He takes it and sits on it. I grab one for myself and sit across from him.

He starts pulling out containers from the plastic bag. I count three. Ranulf opens up one to reveal dumplings. They look really good! The next container he hands to me. I open it up to see brown noodles with a few cooked shrimps in it. My favorite! He hands me a pair of chopsticks. The last container Ranulf opens is the same thing I have. He gets his own pair of chopsticks.

"Thank you. I'll pay you back." I say staring at the delicious food.

"No, it's fine."

"B-But…" He puts his finger over my mouth.

"I'm treating you. Ok?" I blush but nod. He moves his finger. I start eating the noodles. They do taste good. "How are you doing?" He asks.

"O-Ok. I was d-drawing so that k-kept me busy."

"What were you drawing?"

I blush. "U-Uh… just stuff."

"Can I see it?" I quickly shake my head 'no'. "Why not?"

"Because it's not that good." He looks at me as if concentrating. I imagine an anime sweat drop on my head. "B-But, if you w-want to look…" I say carefully as I grab my notebook. He nods and I hand it to him.

Ranulf's eyes sparkle at the first page. "A lily flower…" he says sounding a bit distant.

"Y-Yeah, I l-like them a lot." I say before taking a big bight out of my noodles. He continues looking through the pages. He smirks at a page and I blush bright red. He must be looking at the picture of him in the tree.

Ranulf looks up at me. His smile is big. "So that's why you took a picture of me." I look away in embarrassment. He laughs. "You really love to draw, don't you?" I don't respond. He flips to the next page. His smirk disappears. "That kid is from archery class."

I look up at him. "Yeah. That's Leonardo."

"Is he a friend of yours?" I nod. "Do you like him?"

I don't know how to answer him. I don't like Leo _that_ way if that is what he is asking. "He is nice to me. We barely talk to each other, though." Ranulf looks up at me. I quickly blurt, "I d-don't like him in th-that way! I don't think h-he likes me too much a-anyway." Suddenly, he snorts. Then he starts laughing hysterically. "Wh-What?" I ask worried. Did I say something?

Ranulf calms himself down enough to talk. "You are just too cute." But then he goes serious. "Honestly, though. I want you to be careful. Promise me you will."

I am so confused. What does he mean by that? "I-I promise." He flips to the next page. I keep eating my noodles. I'm halfway through them.

"You draw really well."

"N-No, not really."

"Yes, you do. I don't know that many artists but you are really good and I am not just saying that. I wouldn't lie just to make someone happy."

I froze from trying to protests. So he is that type of person. Honest. I like that. I smile. "Thank you."

We continue to eat. He tells me how everyone was talking about the accident. Rumors were flying around about how it happened. A few of them involved a fight. I just listen as Ranulf tells me all of them. I can tell Ranulf wants to know the truth but I just can't tell him. I don't know why but my gut told me not to. I won't tell anyone. Soren kind of knows what's going on but not a lot. I don't want anyone else to get involved. Lenna got involved and look what happened. I got to keep this a secret as long as possible.

I finish most of my noodles and all but two shrimps. I am so full. Ranulf finishes all of his food. I don't know how he can finish all of that. The sauce of the noodles is enough to fill you up. I pick up a shrimp with my chopsticks.

"Do you want it?" I ask Ranulf.

He looks at it. Then he leans forward and… eats it off of my chopsticks! I blush as he leans back and eats with satisfaction. He kind of reminds me more of a cat. No wonder he is a cat Laguz! I laugh causing Ranulf to look at me very confused.

"What?" he asks.

I shake my head 'no' as I calm down. "I-It's nothing. I just thought of something." To keep myself distracted I look inside the plastic bag and find a few fortune cookies. I pull one out. I open it from the plastic wrap and then crack it open. "The dream is within you." I read softly. That's kind of ironic since I have dreams.

"Huh. That's a bit odd." Ranulf comments.

"Yeah."

Ranulf digs into the bag and grabs a cookie. He cracks it open and looks at it. "Anything you do, do it well. The last thing you want is to be sorry for what you didn't do." He reads out loud.

"That's long compared to mine." I say.

"Yeah. That is nice, though. I can understand what it means, too. It's not of those confusing ones." Ranulf laughs. I giggle a little bit. It is annoying when you get those.

I start closing my containers of food. I go to my desk and grab sticky notes. I write my name on two of them and place them on the containers.

"I'll be right back." I say as I pick the containers up.

"I'll throw the trash out." Ranulf says while cleaning up the mess.

"O-Ok." I reply. We walk out of y room and into the kitchen. I put the food in the fridge as he tosses the trash away. I sigh and sit on the counter. "Ranulf?" He looks at me. "Th-Thank you for k-keeping me company."

Ranulf smiles at me. "Anytime." Down the hall I can hear a few girls chatting. They enter the kitchen. They stop once they see us. "Want a drink?" Ranulf asks me. I look at Ranulf and nod. He goes to the fridge and opens it up. "Want soda?"

"Yes." I reply.

"Coke?"

"Yep."

He shuffles in the fridge for a little bit. Then he closes the fridge door handing me the nice cold drink. Ranulf has his Coke so he opens it. He looks over to where the girls are standing. They haven't moved. They are watching us as if we are a TV show or something. I look away from them blushing.

"Can I help you?" he asks them sounding annoyed.

They quickly snap out of there daze. Then they scuttle away. I can't help but giggle. Then I start laughing. Ranulf looks at me confused for a minute. Then he starts laughing along with me. It was just so funny! The way they stared at us. Then the way they ran away. Classic! I take a deep breathes then open my Coke. I drink it up. I put it down and sigh. I haven't had a real actual laugh in a while and it felt good. Ranulf really is just the best. The way he makes my day that much brighter. Ranulf leans against the counter next to me. It was quiet while we drank our Coke. After a while I finish my drink, jump off the counter, and I toss it away.

"Thanks for today. You really helped me out a lot." I say. "I better head back to my room and sleep."

From behind me Ranulf wraps his arms around me. His head rests on mine. "Ok, Mina. Come see me if you need anything." He kisses the top of my head. "Night!" He lets go of me. I turn around to see him leaving the kitchen waving and smiling at me.

I leave the kitchen smiling to myself and blushing. Ranulf is a sweet guy. I'll never understand why he likes a girl like me. I'm quiet, shy, weak, and not that pretty. A lot of girls want to be with him but he wants me. I enter my room, shut the door, and lock it. I grab my PJs and put them on. I climb into bed to see Kisa sleeping on my white blanket that is rolled up by my pillow. I smile as I lie down and pull the covers over me. I turn off my light and close my eyes. I hope tomorrow will be a little bit easier on me.

_**(The Next Day)**_

I open my eyes rubbing them gently with the back of my hand. Kisa is still rolled up next to me asleep. I roll over to see what time it is. It reads 5 o'clock. I slowly get up trying not to wake her up. I dig in my trunk trying to find something to wear. I find a purple t-shirt with the word 'Together' on the top and 'Forever' on the bottom. In the middle is a cartoon picture of a milk carton and a chocolate chip cookie holding hands. Two little red hearts is in between them. I find jean Capri's and put those on.** [a/n: I just realized something. As I was typing this I was wearing the same things that Mina is! It was completely by accident, too! lolz] **I put on my socks and shoes and walk out of the room to the bathroom. After I brush my hair and teeth I head back to the room. I pack my school bag together getting ready for my classes. I better head to the classes I missed yesterday and see what I need to make up. I hope I don't have too much to do.

I go to the kitchen and grab myself some cereal. Once I pour milk in it I sit down at the table and eat. Shortly after I sit a guy walks into the kitchen. He has red spiky hair and matching red eyes. He is wearing a white shirt and black shorts. He yawns loudly and grabs an apple from the fruit bowl that is sitting on the counter. He takes a bite and looks in my direction. His eyes grow wide. I guess he thought he was alone.

"Hi." He says to me.

I swallow my food quickly. "H-Hi." I say a little surprised. I thought he was going to ignore me or leave.

"You're the girl who went to the hospital, right?"

"Y-Yes. My friend g-got hurt so I-I went with h-her." I explain.

He nods his head understanding. He looks at my arm confused. "What happened?"

I look down to see the bandage around it. "O-Oh. I got cut by accident." Not exactly true but close enough.

"You sure? My friend said you got attacked." He says bluntly.

My eyes grow wide. How did the friend find that out? Who is the friend he is talking about? "H-How…?" I couldn't finish my sentence. I'm just too shocked to speak. I am awake, right?

He smirks. "So Vika wasn't lying. Interesting…" A look of confusion is on my face. "Sorry. My name is Tormod and my friend, Vika, is a raven Laguz. She was flying when she saw you guys on the roof. She didn't hear anything but she did see the attack and fall."

I was panicky now. "I… Uh… I-I mean…"

Tormod laughs. "Calm down! I was just curious, that's all."

I sigh calming myself down. "O-Ok."

His face becomes serious again. "You ok? What was the argument about?"

I look down at my cereal. Why are so many people asking questions? Can't he be like everyone else and just assume? This is getting a little bit annoying. "Nothing you need to concern yourself with." I look at him with slight annoyance showing on my face.

He stares into my eyes for what seems like forever. I wanted to look away but it is like he locked my eyes into place with his own. Plus I should stop running away. I need to stop being weak. Finally he looks away and stares out the window that is on top of the sink. I am slightly surprised with myself but I ignore the feeling. I continue eating my cereal before it goes soggy. Tormod sits on a chair across from me.

"Sorry." Tormod suddenly says. My eyes grow wide. He looks hurt because I acted mean. Guilt gnawed at my heart and I immediately feel really bad.

"Don't be sorry! I didn't mean to say that so meanly. It's just that a lot of my friends are asking questions and I rather that they didn't." I mutter to myself, "It's better that they don't get involved." I finish my food and put the bowl and spoon in the sink. I stare out the window. Sure looks nice out today.

"Well, if you told your friends what was going on maybe they will be able to help you out." He suggests.

I shake my head 'no'. "If they get hurt I won't be able to forgive myself. When Lenna got hurt I couldn't handle it. She doesn't want me to blame myself but I can't help it."

I hear the chair get pushed against the tile so I turn to see Tormod standing. "Well, I guess you will have to figure something out then." He looks at me and smirks. "See yah!" He then walks out of the room taking another bite of his apple.

I think about what he said. He's right. I do need to do something. How do you stop a group of Laguz girls? They hate me because I'm with Ranulf. What if I stop seeing him? I feel a jolt of pain from my heart. It's logical but it is painful to do. Imagining myself without him is nearly impossible. Augh! Why can't they just have crushes on movie stars or something! Do you they have to be so defensive of Ranulf when he doesn't really know any of them?

I walk to my dorm and pick up my bag. I see a book on the shelf that catches my eye. I walk over and pick it up. _Tempted_! That's the sixth book of the _House of Night _series and it's the book I need to read to be caught up. I pick it up and leave the dorm then lock the door. I walk out of the building and wait at the sidewalk for the streetlight to turn green so I can cross the road. Someone stands next to me so I look.

I smile. "Good morning, Micaiah."

She looks over at me and smiles back. "Good morning."

The light turns green so we cross the road. There were a few students out talking to each other in the school yard. I think now would be a good time to ask.

"Micaiah?" I start.

"Yes?" she replies still smiling.

"Um… remember that time we first met? You shook my hand."

"Yeah, I remember." She says. Micaiah's smile falters just slightly.

"How come I felt that, uh, you know…?" I ask trying to put the feelings into words.

"Power? Energy?" she suggests.

"Yeah, that's it." I say nodding.

"Well, usually when people with special abilities touch they feel each other's power. This means you have a gift and so do I." Micaiah explains to me.

That is pretty cool. I become curious. "What is your gift?"

She hesitates for a moment. She then takes a deep breath. "I can heal people without using a staff. It drains my energy making it there's. I also get glimpses of the future. Sometimes they are short clips and other times they are vivid."

I stare at her in awe. "Wow! That's amazing!" I excitedly respond.

Micaiah smiles. "Thank you." She thinks for a moment. "What is your gift?"

I think about that for a second. Then I remember that I have my dreams. My smile drops as I explain, "Sometimes when I dream I see what happens in the future. It's like watching TV and they usually scare me."

Micaiah looks at me sadly and pats my shoulder. "I know the feeling. It's ok. Whenever you need to talk to someone about your dreams just come and see me, ok?"

I smile at her blushing a little. "Th-Thank you."

"You're welcome." Suddenly an orange bird flies towards us and lands on her shoulder. "Yune! How are you doing? I thought you were still at home." Micaiah says gently rubbing the bird's head.

I smile. "She looks pretty. Yune is a cute name, too."

Micaiah smiles more to herself. "Yeah, she's been with me forever. I would like to think that we are best friends." Yune rubs her head against Micaiah's cheek. She giggles. Yune then flies and lands on my shoulder.

I look at her and smile brightly. "Hi there, Yune. My name is Mina. Nice to meet you!" She chirps and I giggle.

Then she looks at Micaiah and chirps a few things to her. "Oh, he is?" Micaiah asks her. The bird nods her head. "Thank you, Yune." Yune chirps once and then flies away. "I got to go to the library but will see you later, ok?"

"O-Ok. Bye." I reply a little dazed.

"Bye!" She waves and walks away.

I stare after her amazed. They are able to talk to each other and understand one another. I wonder if Kisa and Lenna are able to do that. That must be such a great feeling to have that kind of connection. Will I ever be able to have that? I doubt it. It's still worth dreaming for, though.

I walk to my favorite place and sit on the bench I always seem to sit on. I pull out the book and read. I recap about what happened in _Hunted_ so everything can make sense. I finally remember and start to read _Tempted_. I like the _House of Night_ series. It's a really great series to get into. It has vampires but it's not _Twilight _for sure or even the type where you have murdering vampires that smell and are ugly. The characters are actually high schoolers and it has some nice twists here and there. Especially later in the series a big twist comes along. **[a/n: I don't want to give anything away but it's hard not to!]** There is someone who becomes evil and I suspected that person from the start. It's amazing how much stress Zoey is getting into. I don't think I could handle all that!

From the corner of my eye I can see someone sit next to me. I finish the paragraph that I was reading and look. It's Soren. He is looking straight ahead.

"Hi." I say to him.

"Hello." He says without moving. I wonder if there is something bothering him.

_**Ranulf's POV:**_

I see Mina talking to that mage guy. What was his name again? Soren. Yeah, that's it. He's Ike's friend. He smells different than most Beorcs but I don't know why. I can't quite put my finger on it. I start to walk over to Mina when a hand grabs my arm firmly. I turn around to see Lethe glaring at me.

"I told you to be careful around her, didn't I?" she says bitterly. I tense up. Sadly, I knew what she was talking about. Lethe continues, "But because you weren't someone dear to her got hurt." I open my mouth to say something but she cuts me off. "Just be glad she didn't get killed. Next time Mina could get hurt." Lethe lets go of my arm and walks away.

I rub my arm were she grabbed me. It feels really sore. That girl is crazy strong. She does have a point, though. Because of me Mina almost got hurt. I'm grateful that Lenna saved her but she was not supposed to get hurt. Those Laguz girls just won't go away. I need to do something about them. But what?

I look over where Mina is to see her looking at me. She smiles brightly. I give a quick wave and smile in return. She turns to Soren, says something like 'I'll be right back.', then speed walks over to me. She looks so beautiful with her curly blue hair and her midnight blue eyes. It's sad that I have put her into a big mess with those girls.

"Good morning, Ranulf!" Mina says happily.

"Good morning." I say in return. I smile but it doesn't feel real. Mina's smile fades a little as she looks at me curiously. "What is it?" I ask her.

She blinks a few times. "Is something wrong?"

"What do you mean?" I ask.

Mina tilts her head to the side as if looking at a different angle would give her the answer. "I don't know. You seem a bit different this morning."

"Hm." Then I smirk. I know how to tease her and keep her distracted. "Do I look more handsome today?"

It works. She blushes in that cute way of hers. She opens her mouth as if to try to say something but no sound comes out. I laugh covering my mouth. She is so cute.

"Calm down! I was just teasing!" I exclaim still laughing.

Mina sighs but is still blushing. I rub the top of her head as if she is a little kid. She looks into my eyes and I smile more naturally. She always finds a way to brighten my day.

Mina smiles brightly. "There it is!" I look at her confused. Her blush deepens in color. "Y-Your real s-smile."

My eyes grow wide. So she was able to tell. Last time I checked she was the open book. Now my emotions are being exposed by her. Usually my friends can't tell if something is wrong with me unless I made it obvious. But Mina… she's good. I hug her tightly resting my head on hers. I can feel her arms wrap around me and I smile in content. If she's around I can live. I believe I can handle those obsessed fan girls.

"Mina, can you do something for me?"

"Wh-What is it?" she replies with her sweet voice.

"Try to stay safe. I'll protect you if I have to but please don't do something dangerous." I say and I mean every word of it.

"I-I'll try." I feel her shift so I let go of her. Mina gets on her tippy toes and kisses me gently on my cheek. "I-I have to go to class now." She says.

I smile. "Ok. See you later." I lean down and kiss her forehead.

Mina walks to where Soren is still sitting. He hands her a piece of paper. She then waves bye to him and walks to the Beorc building while he walks to the main building. I walk to the Laguz building smiling to myself. I just need to find a way to stop those girls from bothering me, Mina, and her friends. Then we could be worry free. But now, I need to find Mordecai and go to class.

_**Mina's POV:**_

I had gone to all of my classes and went to see the teachers that I missed yesterday. I got a few worksheets here and there but besides that not too much homework. I pull out the piece of paper Soren gave me earlier. He says that it's from Mist. I open it and read it. _'Meet me at the bench you like to sit at, ok? ;) - Mist' _I smile. She is a nice girl and has nice handwriting. I walk to the designated place.

When I get there I see Mist sitting next to Rolf and they were talking. They must be really close friends. Rolf sees me and waves. Mist turns her head and smiles at me. She gets up and walks over. Rolf follows behind.

"Hi, Mina! I'm glad you got the note!" Mist says.

I nod my head. "Yep." I'm still amazed she got Soren to listen to her. That was nice of him to do that for her. "So, what's going on?" I ask curiously.

"We are going to the cooking club!" Mist exclaims. Oh, so that's what this is about. Mist told me about this before. "Would you like to come with us?" she asks hopefully.

"Today we are making monkey bread!" Rolf says excitedly.

It sounds nice. I haven't cooked in a while and I miss doing that. "Sure, I would like to go." I reply.

They both brighten up. Mist grabs my hand and runs off with me following. Rolf runs next to Mist. This is going to be fun. In a minute we were standing in front of a door. Mist lets go of me and opens the door. When we enter the smell of flour and other foods engulf me. I inhale it with delight. I can't wait to start cooking.

Rolf steps in front of me and looks at me. "Oh, Mina? I just remembered that I still have your guitar!" he says panicky a little. Oh, I kinda forgot about that. I'm glad he reminded me.

I try to reassure him with, "I-It's ok. Just return it when you get the chance."

"Ok! Will do!" Then Rolf turns around and runs to who I recognize as Mr. Oscar. "We're here!" he exclaims.

"Hi, Rolf." He says patting Rolf's head. He looks up to see me and Mist. "Hi, Mist. Welcome, Mina." He smiles gently and I blush.

"H-Hello." I say smiling.

Then Mr. Oscar returns his gaze back to the rest of the students that are gathered there. "Alright. Everyone get into groups!"

Mist and Rolf go somewhere and I slowly enter the room. I kinda feel left out and out of place. As I look around people were talking excitedly with their partners and getting ready for the dish.

"Mina!" I look around to see who called my name. My eyes land on Ike who is waving me over. I walk quickly to him. "Do you want to be in our group?" he asks. I look next to him to see Soren looking at me.

I look back at Ike. "Ok."

He smiles. "Great! Let's look for an open stove to use."

I nod and follow him and Soren. We find an open spot and take it.

"Ok." Mr. Oscar announces. I look at him and everyone goes quiet. "We are making monkey bread today. The ingredients and material that you need should be on the counter. There is a sheet of instructions by the stoves. If you have any questions you may ask me. Begin cooking!" With that said everyone becomes busy.

"Do you know how to cook?" Ike asks. I nod my head. He sighs in relief. "Good because barely any of us do." He says motioning him and Soren.

"Mist made us take this class." Soren grumbles. I suppress a giggle as I imagine the argument Mist had with them.

"What do we do first?" Ike asks.

I pick up the sheet and read it. Then something inside my head happens. I feel like I am in control and that I could cook this well. I just need them to work with me. I wish I had this much courage more often.

I look at them with such seriousness that I amaze myself. I tell Soren to prep the oven and Ike to mix ingredients together. I helped him with it. We followed the instructions step by step. Every time we got one thing done I would cross it out. Once I tripped and almost spilled the bowl but Ike caught me and Soren took the bowl from me. **(a/n: I have made it before and it tastes amazing! You should try it if you haven't already!) **Soren took some biscuit pieces and put them in the bowl to cover them with the ingredients. Ike had just finished melting the butter and poured it over the pieces. Finally I put the pieces on a tray and put them in the oven. I set the timer for 35 minutes. Soren is doing dishes so I go over and help.

"I can't wait till it's done! I'm sure it will taste really good!" I say happily.

"Thanks to your help." Soren says nonchalantly.

I blush. "I-I think it would h-have turned out o-ok without me.

"Not true." I look up to see Ike leaning against the counter. "You explained everything easily so we could understand. You must love cooking."

"I-I guess so, yeah." I say a little distant.

"Either way, we got everything without any mishaps. Thank you." Soren says.

I become panicky again. "I should thank you! I was kind of bossy but you guys listened without complaining! I'm sorry if I had annoyed you guys."

"You didn't annoy us." Soren says.

Ike nods. "You helped us a lot."

Before I could argue Mist and Rolf run over to us. "Hi everyone!" Rolf cheerfully says.

"How did Ike and Soren do?" Mist asks.

I stand up and wipe my hands across my pants. "Th-They did well." I reply.

"Any accidents?"

"W-Well, I tripped but I-I was saved." I look at Ike and Soren. I smile at them appreciatively. I look back at Mist. "H-How about you g-guys?"

"Some sugar spilled on the floor so it took a while to clean up." Rolf says and sighs. I can see Mist fidgeting and blushing a little. She must be the one who spilled it. Poor thing.

"I'm guessing you did that, Mist." Soren says. He must have seen her fidget, too.

"It's not like I meant to!" Mist exclaims.

I spoke up. "I-It's ok. W-We know you d-didn't mean to." She calms down.

As if nothing happened she smiles at me. "I can't wait to eat!"

"Yeah, I'm hungry!" Rolf chimes in.

"Did you make extra?" Ike asks. Rolf looks at him confused. I'm confused, too.

"Boyd." Soren says.

Rolf got it. "Oh! Well, he isn't getting my share! He can beg Oscar if he wants to." We all laugh at that. It was a funny picture to imagine in my head. I sit on the counter letting my feet dangle.

After that we just talk about classes and other things. Rolf and I talk about Mr. Shinon's funny anger issues in archery class. It's really funny how he goes from exploding to being annoyed and then not caring at all. He is cool to talk to, though. Rolf and I have talked to him a few times together (since I'm too shy to by myself) and it is nice.

A girl with long purple hair and matching eyes wearing a pink cape with purple lining and dark blue/purple hood walks over to us. She is also wearing a green shirt, dark blue/purple short skirt, and light pink boots. She looks at Mist. "The food is ready." She says softly. She is a quiet girl. Not shy, just quiet.

"Oh, ok! Thanks!" Mist says. She turns to Rolf. "Let's go."

"Ok." Rolf follows Mist and the other girl.

"Who's that girl?" I ask.

"That's Ilyana. She's a mage like Soren." Ike answers. He looks at Soren. "Isn't she in the same class as you?"

Soren looks at Ike. "Yes." Then he looks at me. "She mainly uses lightning spells while I mainly use wind spells."

I nod understanding. Then the timer goes off on our oven. I go over to it and turn the timer off. I open the oven. I grab some oven mitts, put them on, then pull out the tray. I gently place it on the counter. Ike closes the oven for me.

"Thank you." I say as I take the oven mitts off.

"Should we get the plates?" Ike asks.

"Uh… not yet." I say studying the food. "We should let it cool off."

As we waited I started to think about what I was going to do with it. If there were left overs I should give some to Lenna. I could bring some pieces to lunch tomorrow and give it to my friends. Even some for Ranulf and his friends. Ranulf…

"You ok?" Ike suddenly asks me.

I look at him confused. "Huh?"

"Are you ok? You look sad."

"Oh!" I-I'm fine! S-Sorry! I just k-kind of dozed o-off there." I say smiling at him.

"Oh." He says. He doesn't seem to be convinced.

I look at the bread. "I think the bread is cooled enough. Wanna get the plates?"

Ike grabs the plates and I get a knife. I cut pieces off and put them on the plates. I hand one to Soren and Ike. Then I leave one aside for myself. They both take a bite.

Ike smiles widely. "This tastes great!"

"I have to agree." Soren says his eyes slightly wide.

I smile. "See? I told you it would!"

Mist and Rolf run over. Mist steals a tiny piece from Ike's plate and eats it. Her eyes grow wide.

"You guys have your own to eat." Soren comments.

"Yeah but this is amazing!" she exclaims. "Awesome job, Mina!"

I open my mouth to try to tell her that it wasn't just me but I see Rolf cut a piece, put it on a plate, and take it over to Mr. Oscar. He takes a bite and smiles satisfactorily. Rolf says something to him and Mr. Oscar looks up to look at us. He gives a little thumbs– up for us and I smile. Ilyana comes over to us. She stares at the bread. I can practically see her drooling.

"W-Would you like to h-have a piece?" I ask her.

She looks at me with wide eyes. Her eyes seem to sparkle with happiness. "Yes, please." I smile at her and get her a piece of the bread. "Thank you. I'm so… hungry." Ilyana takes a bite of the food. She smiles in delight. "Delicious."

A few students come over and asked for a little bit. I give them some. They give me compliments and I blush red. I keep telling them that I didn't do it alone. I had help and I really appreciate it. They ask me for tips. Finally, I just give them some tips. Some people even wrote them down! I feel so happy right now. I look over to see Soren putting dishes away. He looks at me and something surprises me. I see a tiny smile on his face. I smile at him in return. He returns to putting dishes away. After a while students left to clean up. I was able to breathe again. I sit on the counter and sigh.

"Tired?" Ike asks from next to me. He is leaning against the counter.

"Just a little bit." I look at the bread. There is just enough left for me to give to my friends. "Do you want the left over's?"

He looks at it. "No thanks. You can keep it. Mist is going to have her left over's brought home."

On the other side of me Soren comes to stand there. He gives me a plate of bread. "I saw you put this aside for yourself. If you're tired you should eat."

"But-"

"Eat." He orders cutting me off.

I take the plate quietly and eat it. I smile brightly. Everyone was right. This does taste good! "Delicious!"

Ike smiles. "I know, right?" I laugh.

"I'll be right back." I say to them.

I jump off the counter and walk to find where Mr. Oscar is. I find him sitting at his desk writing something. He looks up at me and smiles that gentle smile.

"How may I help you?"

I blush a little. "I-I was wondering if I could have a bag for the left overs?"

"Oh, sure." He gets up and rummages through the closet that is behind him. After a few seconds he pulls out a plastic bag. "Is this ok?"

"Y-Yeah." I take it from his hands. I then say, "Thank you."

I walk away and back to my kitchen area. Once I return I put the bread in the plastic bag.

"Ok, everyone." The students stop talking to listen to Mr. Oscar. "Once you are done cleaning up you may go home. Have a good day!"

Students were cleaning up and talking to each other. People were leaving slowly. I finish packing the food and start cleaning the counters. Mist runs over to us.

"Hurry up you guys! I want to go home!" Mist says impatiently.

"You could go home yourself." Soren mutters.

"We'll be right there." Ike tells her. When Mist left to talk to Rolf he glares at Soren. "You know we can't do that."

Soren sighs. "I know."

I look at them. They look tired. I finish cleaning the counters and start cleaning the stove. "You guys can go home if you want. I'll finish cleaning up."

"You sure?" Ike questions.

"Yeah. The stove is the only thing left to clean."

"Ok." He looks at Soren. "Let's go." Soren doesn't respond. "Soren?"

"You go ahead. I'll catch up." Soren replies.

Without another work Ike leaves. Soren comes over and puts the ingredients away. I continue to clean the stove.

"Soren?" I ask a little hesitant. He looks at me. "Have you been able to sleep?" His eyes grow wide. I blurt quickly, "You know, since you fell asleep that time at the hospital."

Soren continues to put the stuff away. He looks like he is thing so I don't say anything. After a minute he says, "Yeah. Thank you."

I look at him confused. I ask, "For what?"

"For helping me that time. I wasn't able to sleep lately because I have been so busy with school, being vice president, and studying. When I fell asleep on the roof I felt…" Soren looks at me trying to find the word.

"Relaxed?" I suggest.

He nods. "Yeah. So, thank you."

I blush. "A-All I did w-was play my g-guitar. Th-That's it."

Soren finishes putting the things away and I finish cleaning the stove. I pick up the bag of food.

"Bye." Soren says to me.

"Bye!" I say smiling at him.

Soren walks out of the place. I look around the kitchen to make sure everything is clean. Nothing was left behind and it looks very clean. I leave the building. I walk down the barren school property. The only noise that can be heard is my footsteps and the nearby water fountain. I pass through the school gates. I should go see Lenna. I'm sure she will like the food. She said she doesn't like hospital food so this will cheer her up. I smile to myself as I walk down the sidewalk. When a nearby alley comes up I hear noises. What is that?

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**So... did you guys like this chapter? Please tell me what you think! I would really appreciate it! Anyway, here is my usual thanks.**

**_HappyBunny885_**

**_SunLord89_**

**_Iline_**

******If you want to be on the 'Thank You' list all you have to do is review! Please review! They really do make my day! See you all in the next chapter! :D**


	7. Chapter 7

**Hi everybody! I finally did it! I got the new chapter up! I was hoping to do it on my birthday, August 2nd, but it wasn't close to being done and I didn't even type it on my computer yet! Ugh! I feel bad since it is a few days late. Plus, when I typed it on my computer, it showed that it took up 21 pages of Word! I'm not kidding! So I had to cut back on a lot of things that were supposed to be on this chapter and moved it to be in chapter 8. Anyway, I want to make a big thanks to Avelinne (a.k.a. Iline)! I needed an OC but previously she said to me if I ever needed hers I could use it. I thought, 'Hey, this would be an awesome time to use it!' so I did! I love the OC so thank you so much for your permission! Anyway, let's go on to the story!**

_**Disclaimer: We should all know the drill by now but here it goes. I own nothing of Fire Emblem so they belong to their rightful owners. The only thing I own is the idea of the story and the OCs. Well, except for Reina. That is Avelinne's OC.**_

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Chapter 7:

I look down the alley and gasp. Lying on the ground and leaning against the wall is Derek. I hesitantly walk towards him. As I get closer I notice bruises, cuts, and blood on him.

"What do you want?" Derek asks bitterly.

I froze. I stare at him with wide eyes. I'm kind of scared of him but I also want to help. I start approaching him again but more at a normal pace. He glares at me with dark eyes. It does not stop me, though. When I reach him I kneel down and dig through my bag.

Just as bitterly as before he asks, "What are you doing?" I pull out a few tissues and start cleaning the blood away. He winces. "Owe!"

I stop. "I-I'm sorry." This time I clean a little more gently. "Wh-What happened?"

"None of your business." Derek lost the bitterness so I smile to myself. Even though he won't tell me at least he is being nicer about it.

"You should go to the hospital."

He looks away from me. "I'm fine."

"Please. You look badly injured." I plead.

"I said I'm fine, woman!" he says with obvious anger in his voice.

I move my body so I am looking at his face. "Th-then will you a-at least come to m-my dorm room?"

Derek looks at me for a while before responding, "Fine." Even though he doesn't sound happy I sigh in relief and smile.

I stand up and stretch my hands out to him. "N-Need help standing?" He stands without taking my hands. He wobbles and I catch him quickly. I then take his arm and put it across my shoulders. "L-Lean on me i-if you have to."

Derek just glares at me. I could tell he was trying not to lean on me and be strong. I lead him carefully out of the alley. Then we walk down the road in the direction of the dorms. People that are walking by give us funny looks and give us space. I look at Derek. He looks so tired and worn out. How did he get so badly hurt? Did he get in a fight?

We reach the dorms and I open the door. We climb up the stairs. Derek was leaning more against me making him heavy. I look at him to see him blinking a lot trying to stay awake.

"C-Come on. St-Stay awake please." I say to him. We made it to my hallway. "We're almost there. You can sleep when we reach my room."

I find my key in my pocket and unlock the door. Then we walk in and I lie him down on my bed. I put my backpack down on the floor. I look around for the first-aid kit. After a bit of searching I find it under Lenna's bed. I open it and grab bandages and some disinfectant. I go to my bed where Derek is lying. I just notice Kisa on my bed sniffing him.

"D-Derek?" His eyes shoot open and glare at me. "Th-This might hurt s-so…" He nods and closes his eyes.

I start taking the disinfectant and clean his wounds. He winces so I try to be as careful as possible. Kisa watches this with curiosity. I wrap the bandages around his injuries. Mostly around his arms. His black wings look pretty bad so I fix those up, too. He had to sit up, though. After that is done I put everything away and place the kit back under the bed. My cell phone rings and I pick it up.

"Hello?" I ask into the phone.

"Hi! It's me, Lenna!"

I smile brightly. "Lenna! How are you?"

"Better. Though the food still sucks."

"I'm sorry. When I get the chance I'll bring something."

"That is why I called. You told me you would visit me today. What happened?"

I look over at Derek. "W-Well, I stayed a-after school for a club. Th-Then something happened s-so I kind of f-forgot. I'm sorry!" I say to her.

"What? You forgot?" she says sounding offended. I know she is joking but I can't help but take it seriously.

"I-I'm sorry! I'll c-come as soon a-as I can!" I blurt quickly.

I hear laughing on the other end. "It's ok! I understand!" I sigh. "See you soon?"

"Yeah."

"Ok. Bye."

"Bye." I hang up and sigh.

"What was that about?" Derek asks.

"I-I was supposed t-to visit my friend. S-She's a bit mad at me." I rub the back of my head nervously. I hope when I give her the food she will forgive me.

"Oh." I look at Derek. Even though he scared me the first time I met him, I think he is not that bad. He seems kind of nice.

"I better go. You can stay here and relax. I'll be back later. Ok?" He nods his head. "Alright. Bye, then."

I pick up the container of Monkey Bread, walk out of the room, and shut the door. I then walk down the hallway towards the stairs. As I walk down the stairs I listen to the echoes of my feet on the steps. The sound bouncing against the walls sound kind of soothing to me.

"Did you hear that someone jumped off the roof?" It is a girl's voice. I slow down my pace until I completely stop.

"Actually, she fell." Another girl says.

"Oh, is that what it was? Well, anyway, another girl jumped off the roof to save the first girl."

"You mean Lenna?"

"Yeah, that's her! You know her?"

"She is in one of my classes. Isn't she in the hospital now?"

"That's why the ambulance came to our school!"

"What happened to the first girl?"

"Apparently she only had a scratch! That Lenna girl really did save her! I wonder what happened?"

"A friend told me that there might have been a fight."

"That's what my sister said, too! Lethe thinks it is the group of Laguz girls that likes Ranulf."

"The fan girls?"

"That's the one!"

I didn't want to listen anymore. I quickened my pace till I was at the first floor. I see two Laguzes leaning against the wall. One has orange hair in a braid with matching cat ears and tail along with purple eyes. She is wearing a pink girly shirt and a white skirt. She also has black long socks with black short boots. With pink gloves matching her shirt and black arm warmers that went below the shoulders she has a really cute look going on. With a pink collar on and rainbow colored string hanging at the back it is very cute.

She looks like Lethe except Lethe has a green shirt and dark green skirt and a green ribbon around her neck with bells at the end. Lethe also has brown boots and gloves but no arm warmers or leggings. How do I know what she looks like? I've seen her hang around Mordecai and Ranulf before.

The other Laguz is a hawk with burgundy wings and hair. Her hair is straight and it reaches her mid back. She has bangs that frame her face but partially cover her crimson eyes. She is wearing a cream sleeveless jacket with a high collar. Her buttons are undone to reveal her red undershirt and some cleavage. She has a white belt strapped over her jacket and around the waist. She is also wearing beige Capri's that tuck into her knee high dark burgundy boots that are sort of high heels. She has a black collar around her neck and black gloves that run up to a little below the elbows. She looks really cool.

"Hey, Reina! Isn't that the girl?" the orange haired girl exclaims in surprise.

"Yes, it is!" the other girl replies. They both stare at me with wide eyes.

"Uh… h-hi." I say nervously. I'll just pretend I didn't hear their earlier conversation.

The cat girl stands up straight and walks over to me. "Hi! I'm sorry! My name is Lyre! Me and my friend, Reina," Lyre says motioning to the other girl that is now standing next to her, "were just talking about you!"

Wow, she sure is a talkative girl. She is very honest, too. I blush a little. "R-Really?"

"Yeah. We heard what happened the other day." Reina says.

My blush disappears. "O-Oh."

"We're sorry." She says comforting.

"Could you tell us what happened?" Lyre asks. Reina elbows her stomach. "Ouch!" she says clutching her stomach. She glares at her friend. "I'm just asking! It's good to get the rumors straightened out!" Lyre then looks back at me. "Please?" she asks with pleading eyes.

I stare into her eyes. Why not? It seems like everyone is going to find out at some point. I sigh and close my eyes. I then open my eyes again ready to tell them. "Some girls got mad at me. One of them tried to attack my friend but I pushed her away making me get hit. I fell backwards and off the roof. Lenna jumps off the roof and shifts to save me. She saved me but now she is in the hospital recovering." They both stare at each other with wide eyes then back at me.

"Wow!" Lyre exclaims breaking the awkward silence.

"So the fight part was true!" Reina exclaims.

"I wonder if Lethe knows about this."

"Maybe your sister heard it from Ranulf or Mordecai. Especially since Mordecai is dating Lenna."

"Really? They're going out?"

"Yeah, you didn't know that? It's really obvious."

"I-I have to g-go." I say timidly interrupting their conversation.

"Oh, ok. Bye!" Lyre says.

"Bye. Nice to meet you." Reina says.

"Y-You, too. B-Both of you." I reply.

"We better go shopping now!" Lyre says happily. She grabs Reina by the wrists and pulls her away. Reina looks back with a face that says 'Help me!' then disappears through the door. I giggle making my way out the front door.

I think it is kind of funny but I feel bad for her. Lyre must be the kind of the girl that hangs with anyone that is willing to listen. I think Reina just might be one of the unfortunate people. Well, I shouldn't say that. It's mean to Lyre. She seems like a nice girl but I guess she is just too hyper for most people. I think if she had a friend that was just like her she would be thrilled.

_**Lenna's POV:**_

Mina better hurry up! I am so bored and there is nothing to do! I just finished the book she let me borrow, there is nothing good on TV, and I have no clue where Mordecai is! That last thought makes me feel sad. I thought he said he would come see me. I tried to call him but it wasn't on. Stupid! What's the point of having a cell phone if it is not on! I feel so grumpy today! Something good better happen or I swear I'm gonna-.

The door to my room suddenly opens and I jump. I put my hand against my chest to feel my heart beating quickly. In the doorway is my hot boyfriend that I missed so much.

"God! Are you trying to give me a heart attack!" I yell at him. I am happy to see him, though. Very happy.

Mordecai looks at me confused. "I'm sorry…?" Then he walks over to the side of the bed and kisses my cheek. He smiles sweetly. "How is my darling doing?"

I frown putting my hand on my lap. "I'm so bored." I then smile brightly. "But since you're here I feel a hundred times better!" I exclaim. I open my arms wide. Mordecai leans down and we hug each other. We let go and Mordecai sits on the bed.

"I am glad I made your day. You look beautiful when you smile." I try to hide my blush but fail. At least I don't blush as much as Mina. I'm surprised that her cheeks are not permanently red from all of that blushing!

"I'm happy that you finally decided to visit!"

"Me, too. Sorry I didn't come sooner." He looks around the room. "Is Mina here?"

I frown again. "No. Apparently 'something happened'," I say quoting the words, "so she is late. She should be coming soon, though." I look at Mordecai to suddenly notice the bag in his hands. "What's that?" I ask pointing at it.

He looks at the bag like he just remembered he was holding it. "Oh yeah." He hands it to me. "I went to the library and got some books for you."

I smile excitedly and grab the bag from him. "Thank you so much! I needed more books to read!" I pull out a total of 7 books. All of them are mangas. He knows me so well!

"I know how much you love to read but don't read them all tonight." He warns me teasingly. He knows how fast I read through them. "When I came in the nurse told me that you might be released tomorrow."

I look at Mordecai with wide eyes. "Are you serious?" He nods his head. I can't help but squeal and smile like a little kid on their birthday. "Finally!" There is knocking coming from the door. "Come in!" I call to the person. The door opens to reveal the person I have been waiting for. I squeal, "Mina!"

_**Mina's POV:**_

"H-Hi, Lenna. How are you feeling?" I ask as I step into the room. I have the container behind my back hoping to hide it.

"Better, thanks. I'm glad you finally decided to show up!" she says smiling brightly.

I blush. "Y-Yeah. S-Sorry about th-that." I see Mordecai sitting on the bed. "H-Hi, Mordecai."

"Hello, Mina." He says politely.

I notice all the books on Lenna's lap. "That's quite a few books you got there." I comment.

"Yep!" Then I mentally see a light bulb shine on top of her head as her face lightens up. "Oh! Guess what?" I know she doesn't actually want my answer so I wait. "I'm being released from the hospital tomorrow!"

I brighten up myself and run to her and hug her with my free arm. "Oh my gosh! Th-That's great!" Then I let go. "Are you're injuries that much better?"

Lenna nods. "I told you that Laguzes are very strong!" She frowns at her broken foot. "I might have to keep the cast, though."

"I-It won't be that b-bad. I-I could draw o-on it and make it p-pretty for you." I say blushing at the idea.

Lenna immediately smiles again. "Really? I would love that so much!" She sniffs the air. "Now it's about time to tell me what delicious thing you are hiding from me."

I smile excitedly and hand the container to her. "It's Monkey Bread. I-I made it a-after school with help from some f-friends." I explain. "Just take one piece, o-ok?"

She nods and immediately eats it. "OMG! This tastes amazing! Awesome job, Mina!"

I blush from the praise. "Th-Thank you." Lenna hands the container back to me. I hand it to Mordecai. "Y-You can have a-a piece, too."

He takes it in gratitude. "Thank you." He takes a piece and hands the rest back. He eats it and smiles. "This does taste good!" I blush even more.

My cell phone starts to ring. I dig it out of my pocket and answer, "Hello?"

"Hey, Mina." Ranulf replies.

I brighten up immediately. "H-Hi! What's up?" I ask.

"Nothing much. Where are you?"

"I'm at the hospital visiting Lenna."

"Oh, ok. I wanted to see how you were doing so I knocked on your door…" My body tenses. "But no one answered." I sigh inwardly. Good. He doesn't know that Derek is there. Ranulf might not be happy if he found out.

"O-Oh, I'm sorry. Want to come over? Mordecai is here, too."

"Sure. I'll see you soon. Bye."

"B-Bye." I hang up the phone.

"Was that Ranulf?" Lenna asks. I nod. She smirks. "You must be thrilled that he is coming." I blush but smile and nod my head anyway. She giggles. "So cute!"

I sat down in the chair that was in the room. Then all three of us talked. I told Lenna what was going on at school. Mordecai had some of the same classes as Lenna so he explained to her what she missed. A few minutes later Ranulf walks in.

I look at him and smile. "H-Hi."

"Hi, Mina." He says sweetly. Then he looks at Lenna. "Hey. What's going on?"

She smiles at Ranulf. "Nothing much. Just anxiously waiting for tomorrow. I will finally be out of this place."

"Oh, good for you! I hope you make up all that homework that you missed." He says smirking.

Lenna groans. "Please, don't remind me. That's the only thing I hate about leaving."

I try to reassure her by saying, "I'm sure the teachers will understand and go easy on you."

"I hope so." Lenna sighs.

Ranulf stands in front of my chair. "Stand up for a second." I do as told. He sits on the chair. He then grabs me and pulls me so that I am sitting on his lap. "There we go. Much better." I blush so red that even my ears feel warm.

Lenna laughs. "I think she hit the record for the reddest face! I didn't know she could blush even more!" She laughs again. Mordecai laughs with her.

Ranulf smirks resting his head on my shoulder and wrapping his arms around my waist. "Nice to know that it is because of me." This is not helping me stop blushing at all! This is making it worse! Why, Goddess, why?

"R-R-Ranulf!" I stutter pathetically.

He laughs. "Sorry, sorry. You are just so cute I had to hold you."

After that we just talked some more. It took me a bit but I finally controlled my blush and I relaxed in Ranulf's arms. I take a piece of Monkey Bread and show Ranulf. He eats it right off of my fingers making me blush again. After he praises the cooking and Lenna glares at him we start to talk. Somehow Lenna and I started to talk about anime shows and couples that we like and Ranulf and Mordecai talked about movies they have seen. Mostly action and/or horror but they're guys so it is not like they were going to talk about chick flicks. That would be funny if they did, though!

I look out the window to see the sun setting. The bright colors do look pretty. I look at my cell phone. It's 5:30. I better get back so I can eat some dinner.

"What time is it?" Ranulf asks me.

"5:30."

"Oh, we better get going then. I think the visiting hours end soon."

"Yeah, they do." Lenna comments.

"Wanna walk home with me, Mina?" I nod my head at him. "Mordecai, do you want to walk with us?"

"I think I'm going to keep Lenna company." Mordecai replies.

"You can go ahead." Lenna says to him. "I'll be fine. With the books you gave me it will keep me busy."

"You sure?"

"Yeah, I'm sure! Stop worrying about me!"

"Alright." Mordecai kisses Lenna's forehead. He smiles gently. "See you tomorrow."

"Ok. Bye." She says to him. Then she looks at me and Ranulf. "Bye you guys."

"Bye." I say while standing up.

"See yah." Ranulf says standing up as well.

All three of us walk out of the room and then out of the hospital. I quietly walk next to Ranulf as he talks to Mordecai. They sure are very close friends. Every time they are together they always find something to talk about. I've never seen them disagree much. I'm sure they do on a few things. I mean, everyone disagrees with one another about something. But still, it is good to see really close friends get along like that. Lenna and I have gotten along pretty well even though we haven't known each other for that long. I just know that I can trust her and count on her for anything. I hope she can trust me, too.

The three of us were at the dorm building and we climbed up the stairs to the second floor. Mordecai goes to the room but Ranulf lingers a little.

"You ok, Ranulf?" I ask him.

He looks at me and smiles. "Yeah, I'm fine. Want me to walk you to your room, princess?"

I blush. "N-No, you don't need to. I-I am just g-going to eat and then r-read." Before he says anything I give him a peck on the lips and hug him. "S-See you tomorrow, ok?"

Ranulf hugs me back. "Ok. Bye." Then he walks to his dorm room. I wave bye to him just as he shuts the door.

I climb the stairs to the fourth floor and go straight to the kitchen. I grab my two containers for food from the fridge and two bottles of water. Just in case Derek is still in my room. I go to my door and walk in. I see Derek on my bed still asleep. He must me exhausted from whatever happened to him. As quietly as possible I put the food down on the desk. I then grab my notebook and sit on Lenna's bed to draw. Kisa sits next to me to watch.

_**Derek's POV:**_

I can hear the door to the room open. I stay completely still and listen. The person walks around the room then sits on the bed near the one I'm on. It must be Mina. I don't want to open my eyes. Too tired to bother. I can hear noises from where she is. She must be writing or something. I feel myself grow hungry so finally I open my eyes. I look over next to me. Mina sees me and smiles. The white and black feline is next to her.

"Glad to see you awake. How are you feeling?"

"Hungry." I reply.

She giggles. "I bet you are. I have some food but I have to heat it up. I'll be right back." She leaves the room with two white containers.

I sit up but feel pain shoot through my entire body. As carefully as I can I sit up and lean back. I can feel the bandages getting loose. Maybe Mina will change them.

I quickly shake my head. How come I'm trusting this girl? I didn't want her help but then I end up in her dorm room. Why is this girl helping me? I attacked her before and she was stuttering just a while ago. Now she is talking to me like a normal person. What a complete moron. Does she not realize how terrifying I can be?

The door to the room opens and I flinch. Of course that makes my body hurt so I mutter a curse word. Mina walks in with two plates in her hands. She puts a plate down on the desk, picks up a bottle of water, and then walks over to me.

"I-I hope you don't mind th-that it is noodles. Th-There is shrimp i-in there." She says while handing the plate of food to me. It's weird how she stutters one minute then talks normal the next.

I am so hungry that I don't care what the food is and take the plate from her. I look at it and smell the food. It smells good. I see the fork sticking in there so I take it out and start eating. It tastes ok since I can tell it was reheated. Mina places the bottle of water on the nightstand next to the bed.

"I-If you get thirsty, i-it's there." She says.

I simply nod my head. Mina walks over to the desk and I notice the plate of food that is there. A small amount of noodles and some dumplings are on there. She has her own bottle of water. She slowly pokes at the food and eats it. My mind wonders back to the alley.

_**Flashback:**_

I am walking back from school taking the long way home. The later I get home the better. Less crap to deal with. I see four guys walking my way. I turn right to enter the alley so I could avoid them. Three guys are at the other end blocking the way. I turn back around to see the same four guys as earlier. They have me surrounded. Sh-.

"Hey, you." One of them says.

"Yeah?" I reply coldly.

"Entertain us."

Before I could ask if they were high on something one of them tries to punch me. I swiftly dodge and kick him in the stomach. This sends him flying back. A pair of feet from behind me starts running towards me. I turn around and he punches me in the face. Lucky shot. I get pissed and punch him back. I get in a few more hits until a foot kicks my back making me fall. I sit up and lean against the wall.

This is not good. I'm completely cornered by these bastards and there is no room for me to fly. If I shifted there would be no room, either. God da-.

A kick to my wing makes me gasp in agony. The guy kneels to my level.

"Awe, did that hurt?" he asks in mockery. I spit him in the face. He becomes pissed and punches me across the cheek. He stands up and wipes his face. "You sub-humans think you're so special," he says kicking me, "just because you can turn into beasts." A kick to my other wing. "Well, guess what? We hate you! You guys are nothing but rodents to us!" The guy steps back. Do what you want, boys!"

The guys beat me up. One of them uses a knife. It lasts a while when one of them stops. He looks out the alley. "Uh, boss. We should stop. There is someone coming."

"So what?"

"It's a girl."

"Beorc or sub-human?"

"Beorc."

The boss curses under his breath. "Let's go!" he orders angrily. They all quickly leave.

Someone walks to the alley entrance. I look up at the person to see long blue hair and gentle midnight blue eyes. She looks familiar. The person comes closer and I remember. Mina.

_**End Flashback**_

I finish my food and place it on the nightstand. I grab the bottle of water and gulp in down. My throat is so dry it hurts. I look at Mina to see she is done and is now starring at the wall. She seems really out of it. The little tiger meows making her jump. She looks at the thing then at me.

"I-I'm sorry." Mina says. "I must have dozed off." She walks over to where the first-aid is. "I better change the bandages." She whispers to herself.

I smirk. She is kind of amusing to watch. What a klutz. After scrambling around she walks to me. My smirk disappears. With her gentle hands she removes the old bandages. Her eyes are wide when she sees how bloody it is.

"I-I'll be right back." Mina tells me while placing the wrap on the ground. She leaves the room in a rush.

That baby tiger jumps on the bed and sits near my hand. I lift my hand and pet it. After a few minutes the door opens to reveal a tired Mina. She takes a few deep breathes. In her hands were some clothing, a wash cloth, a plastic bag, and a small bucket. What the crap?

_**Mina's POV:**_

I enter the room and shut the door behind me. I put everything down and quickly pick up a ponytail from the desk and put my hair in a bun then take my shoes off. I look at Derek.

"Can you get up?" I ask. He puts his legs over the side of the bed and stands up. I feel embarrassed about asking this question but I have to. "C-Could you take your sh-shirt off, p-please?" He looks at me funny and I blush deeply. "I-It's covered in b-blood."

He glares. "Fine. But if you do anything suspicious…"

I shake my head like crazy. "I won't!"

Derek sighs. "Ok." He takes off his shirt and hands it to me. I take it and place it on the desk. I walk to him and look up. He's around the same height as Ranulf but that still makes him too tall for me. He looks down at me. "Want me to sit on the floor?"

"Y-Yes, please."

Derek sits on the floor. I kneel in front of him and take the rest of the bandages off of his wings. I then pick up the wash cloth and move the bucket of water closer to me. I then get the cloth wet and gently pat his wings with it. I look at the cloth to see dry blood. Well, at least it's dry. Once that is done I dry them up and put new bandages on them.

"How do your wings feel?" I ask Derek.

He spreads out his wings and winces. "Sore."

I inspect them. "I'm sure a night of rest will help."

He folds his wings back up. It makes me a little sad. They are really pretty wings. The way the light shines on the pitch black feathers is cool and awesome. I look at Derek's chest and gasp. There is a cut I didn't notice before going across it diagonally. I quickly take the cloth and wash it. It doesn't look too deep but it is long and looks like it hurts. I dry up the wound then wrap the bandage across his chest and over his left shoulder. I then clean both of his arms.

I look at his pants. They don't look bloody so that's good. I still better check, though. I reach down to roll them up but hands grab on to my wrists tightly making me stop. I look up at a glaring Derek. His grip really hurts.

"I-I'm only ch-checking." I explain to him. He just keeps on glaring. "P-Please let me l-look. I-I promise I'm n-not going to do a-anything." After a few seconds he lets go. I smile at him. "Th-Thank you for trusting me."

I roll up his jeans and inspect. Luckily there are no cuts there. Just a few bruises here and there. I roll them back down and sigh.

"Alright. That's it." I smile up at him. "All done!" I exclaim.

I stand up and get the shirt from the floor. I then pick up Derek's shirt and look at the back. There are two slits for his wings. I look around until I find scissors that is in the desk drawer. I then pick up the clean shirt and make two slits in it. I hope this fits. I then walk to Derek and hand him the shirt. He takes it and puts it on. It's kind of big on him but the slits in the back are the right size for his wings.

"Where did you get the shirt?" Derek asks.

"From a friend. Sorry it's too big but he is that size." I reply. I'm glad Mordecai helped me out. I'm also kind of glad Ranulf wasn't there. Apparently he had to go shopping.

Derek shakes his head. "It's fine."

I sigh in relief. I pick up the bucket and go into the kitchen to dump the water. Then I return it to where it was before. I put the old wraps of bandages in the plastic bag and toss it out. I enter my room and shut the door. The wash cloth and Derek's shirt remains on the floor. The first-aid kit is back where it belongs so everything was cleaned up. Derek is lying down on my bed again staring at the ceiling. I sit on Lenna's bed, pick up my notebook, watch Kisa jump on the bed, and then draw.

"What are you drawing?" Derek asks breaking the silence.

I blush. "N-Nothing much."

I look at him to see him looking at me questioningly. I just sigh and continue drawing. If I told him what I was drawing he would kill me for sure. Then he would probably rip my notebook to shreds. I would be really sad if anything bad happened to it. After a few minutes I notice Kisa is not by my side anymore. I look around the room to spot her by the door sniffing something. I put the notebook down and stand up.

"What are you doing, Kisa?" I ask while walking across the room. I see a card and kneel down to pick it up. "What is this?" I ask myself.

I look at it. Then I notice it is folded in half and it has my name on it. I unfold it to see a message on it. After I read it I turn pale and feel chills go up my spine. There was no name signed on it but I knew who it was from. My body shakes and I drop the card back on the floor. Why? When is this going to end?

"Mina? Mina. Mina!" I snap out of it and look at Derek. He looks totally confused.

I try to smile like normal. "S-Sorry about that. I-It's nothing." He doesn't look convinced but I ignore it and stand up. Still looking at Derek I ask, "C-Can you walk h-home or do you n-need to stay here?"

Derek stands up. "I'm going home."

I become worried. "You sure?"

He nods and looks at me coldly. "Yeah, I'm sure. I'm not that weak."

I pick up the card from the floor. "O-Ok then. B-Bye."

Derek walks to the door and opens it. He then walks out. I watch him walk down the hall until he disappears to go down the stairs. I shut the door. I put the card on the desk. I then look around for my PJ's and put those on. It's not late yet but I'm not going anywhere so I might as well get comfortable. I pick up my notebook and continue to draw.

After what seems like forever I look up to look at my clock. It reads 9:30. I close my notebook, put it on my nightstand, and then lie down in my bed under the covers. Kisa jumps onto my bed and curls up next to my head. I pet her head slowly falling asleep. I need some rest for tomorrow. Tomorrow is going to be a painful day.

* * *

**So... what did you guys think? I'm sorry if this is really long but I didn't want to cut out the Derek scene! I had to get in all of his parts and finish Mina's day! Please review so I know what you guys think of my story! Here is my normal thanks to the past reviewers:**

**_Kamai-Rui_**

**_HappyBunny885 (She didn't review but she did tell me in person so she still goes on the list! Thanks, twin!)_**

**_lyokolife6_**

**_SunLord89_**

**_Iline (now Avelinne)_**

**_Hubertus_**

**_Dark Katherine_**

**_Rain-19_**

**_GamerKnight_**

**_Alastasia (a.k.a Avelinne. Again, for the 100th time, thanks A LOT for letting me use Reina! She is fun to work with!)_**

**Well, that's it! I love getting reviews so PLEASE leave one! It's not that hard to press that cute little bottom below and type your thoughts! If you want to be on the list you HAVE to leave a review! (Unless you know me in person and thank me like HappyBunny885 did than I will still let you on the list.) ;) See you next time! Hopefully that will be REALLY soon!**

**P.S. I'm so excited that I am 15 now! Yeah! *dances around like a crazy girl* It is 11:56 at night but I am still hyper! Thats what happens when you accomplish something and you feel REALLY good about yourself! ^_^**


	8. Chapter 8

**Hi everyone! I have returned with an all new chapter! School has started up again (ugh) so it sucks. I like my classes but it shortens my time for writing the new chapters. What's really cool is that I am a freshman this year! Yea! My younger brother, Collin, is in his first year of middle school. I'm going to a secondary school so we both ride the same bus. It's kinda cool and fun. So, yeah. Oh, and I also got this new video game called Persona 3. I absolutely love it! I love the game so much! I love it just as much as Fire Emblem (which is a lot)! Have you guys heard of it? I haven't played the other Persona games but I saw this game on a AMV video I watched and had to buy the game! So... How is everyone doing? Pretty good? Anyway, let's go ahead with the story.**

**_Disclaimer: We all know the drill, right? I don't own Fire Emblem or the characters. They belong to their rightful owners. I own all of OCs except for Reina. That is andria-kinz's OC._**

* * *

Chapter 8:

I sit up from bed gasping and crying at the same time. I curl up into a ball and cry into my knees. What a sad and scary dream! It was short but it felt so real it's scary. I stand up and leave the room to go take a shower in the girls' bathroom. When I stepped in and let the hot water hit me I felt better.

_**The Dream:**_

It is pouring outside. I am soaked and in a lot of pain. I am being carried by someone. I look at the person to see its Ranulf. His mismatched eyes look so sad and pissed at the same time.

"R-Ranulf." I weakly force out of my mouth. I am surprised how weak I am.

He looks at me and smiles a little bit. "It's ok. Everything is going to be ok." He reassures me.

I look at myself and mentally gasp. I had bruises and scrapes all over me. How did this happen? Suddenly the rain on my face felt warm. Am I crying? I can't tell. I look up at Ranulf. Or is it him that is crying? I lift my hand and wipe his cheek. Ranulf's eyes grow wide and looks at me in surprise.

I smile the best I can but it hurts. "D-Don't cry. I-I like your s-smile better."

Then my hand drops as I black out. The last thing I see is his panicked face. I'm so tired. A nap sounds really nice right now.

"Mina! Mina!" After that, nothing.

_**Present Time:**_

I was finally done crying and stepped out of the shower. I forgot to bring clothes with me so I grab a towel and dry off. Then I put my PJ's back on and go to my room. I grab a white sleeveless top and put that on. Then I grab a pair of blue jeans and slip them on. Then my light jacket and some socks to wear. I put on my sneakers and I am dressed for the day.

I look at my clock and it reads 6 o'clock. Again, plenty of time to do whatever. I grab my backpack and sit at the desk. I work on the homework that I forgot to do yesterday. When I'm done I look at the clock again. Only fifteen minutes have passed.

I pick up my notebook and look at my most recent picture. I keep working on it. Derek's hair is so cool. I like drawing it. His wings are really cool, too.

When I finish drawing him I look at the clock again. Only another fifteen minutes. Time seems to be really slow today. I pack up my things into my bag and walk out the door. I go into the kitchen and pick up a banana. I sit on the counter and eat it slowly. Tormod walks in wearing his PJ's. He picks up an apple and sees me.

"Hey." He says smiling.

I smile back. "H-Hi." I reply.

"How are you today?"

"O-Ok. How about you?"

"Same." He looks me up and down. "Someone is ready for the day."

I blush. "I-I had a lot o-of free time. I'm going soon."

"And do what?" he asks surprised.

I shrug. "Draw, read, or just sit there."

Tormod shrugs. "Whatever. If I were you I would just chill in my room. Maybe take a nap." He takes a bite of his apple.

"What? So you can miss school?" a girl comments from the entrance. I look to see it is Reina. She is wearing a grey top and tight black shorts.

"Ah, Reina. I see Miss. Big Mouth is not connected to your hips." Tormod says smirking.

Reina glares at him. "She doesn't wake up early." She smirks. "Besides, she found a new victim. Someone that actually loves shopping just as much as her."

Tormod goes wide eyed. "Really now?" He smirks again. "That leaves you more time to spend with Reyson."

She blushes. "Shut up! It's not like that! Anyway, he is usually busy and I doubt he would want to spend more time with me."

Tormod shrugs. "Whatever lets you sleep at night."

Reina just ignores him and picks up a pear. "I'm going on a jog. See yah." She looks at me quickly and smiles. "Hello. Nice to see you again."

I blush. "Y-You, too."

She seems different than yesterday. Maybe this is the real her. I bet she had to act differently around Lyre. She is kind of funny to watch talking to Tormod. It's definitely better than her being tortured by Lyre. I'm sure that wasn't fun.

Reina walks out the entrance. "Tell Janaff and Ulki I say hi." Tormod calls out real quick.

"Will do." She calls back. Then it's quiet again.

I finish eating my banana and toss out the peeling. "B-Bye Tormod. I'm gonna go now." I tell him.

"Alright. Bye." He replies.

I walk out of the kitchen. Then down the stairs and out of the door of the dorm building. There isn't any traffic so I am able to cross the road right away. There seems to be no students around so it is quiet. I find my favorite bench and sit on it. I open my notebook to a new page. I look around trying to find something to draw. I see someone sit next to me and look. It's Soren. I'll draw him.

"H-Hi." I greet him.

He looks at me with his usual blank stare. "Hello."

"Y-You're always here e-early. Why is that?"

"I wait for Ike so we can take care of our usual duties."

"A-Are you Vice President?"

"Yes."

"O-Oh, ok."

I see someone in the shadows walk closer to us. When the person was really close I could see who it was.

"I found you!" Ike exclaims.

"H-Hi Ike." I greet him.

He looks at me and smiles. "Hi Mina." He looks back at Soren. "What papers do we have to look at?"

Soren pulls out a few folders. "Want to look at them here?"

Ike looks at me. "You don't mind, do you?" he asks.

I shake my head. "It's fine." I reply.

He smiles. "Great." He sits down on the other side of Soren.

They began right away. While they talk I draw. Luckily they are too buisy to notice so I can draw them without any worries of being caught or interrupted by questions. It's neat how Soren has that mark on his forehead and Ike has a calm, gentle face.

When the bell rang for school to start I jumped. I was so into drawing that I didn't notice the dozen of students walking around. Also the fact that the sun has risen. Wow.

"We better head for class." Ike says.

"Yes, we should." Soren says agreeing.

"A-Alright. Bye you guys." I say waving to them.

"Bye Mina." Ike says smiling and waving back at me. Soren nods and they both walk away.

I look at the picture I drew and smile. They are really good friends. I'm glad I love to draw. It is fun catching all of these great moments with my notebook. I don't know what I would do without it. I stand up, put my stuff in my backpack, and walk to class. Today I have Math with Mr. Smith.

I walk into the classroom and take my seat in the back. Then two people walk in. I look up to see Sothe and Tormod. I didn't realize they have this class with me. Cool. You learn something new every day. Tormod sees me and points at me in surprise.

"You!" he exclaims.

I look at him confused. "Hi to you… too?" I say/ask him. Sothe looks at both of us.

"You guys know each other?" he asks.

Tormod puts his finger down and calms down. "Sort of." He replies.

"We're in the same dorm building." I explain.

Sothe nods now understanding. Tormod puts his hand on my desk taking my surprise. I look up at him to see him smiling.

"Did you end up drawing, reading, or whatever?" he asks.

I smile. "I drew."

"Cool! What did you draw?"

I pull out my notebook and flip to the page. I show it to Tormod. He takes it from me and looks at the page. His eyes grow wide and he shows Sothe. As they both stared at it I blushed.

Finally Tormod spoke. "Wow! This looks so real! Did you see them this morning?" I nod my head.

"Looks just like them." Sothe comments a little surprised.

"You guys know them?" I ask.

"Sothe knows Ike. He looks up to him like he is some kind of God or something." Tormod says mockingly.

Sothe glares at him and punches him in the arm. "Do not." He says defensively.

Tormod winces and rubs his arm. "I kid, I kid!" he exclaims laughing. "But, seriously. He does know him. Soren? Not so much. That guy is so ice cold and very unsocial."

He hands me my notebook and I put it away. From the corner of my eye I notice someone standing by the door frame.

"I-I'll be right b-back." I tell the two.

I stand up from my desk and walk to the door. The raven laguz who cut my arm has her arms crossed and is tapping her food impatiently. What does she want? I stand in front of her and wait for her to say something. When she doesn't I open my mouth.

"C-Can I help y-you?" I ask.

"Did you get the note?" she asks coldly ignoring my question. I nod my head. "You can avoid this pain if you just break-up with him."

I nod again. "I know." I look at her square in the eye. "I can't do that, though."

She frowns angrily. "Why not?"

I look at the ground. "My heart would break. I don't want to hurt him either."

I look up to see she is even angrier. "Then be prepared for Jessica and us. Don't say I didn't warn you, you stupid human."

With that she walked away with students staring at her. I walk in the classroom. Tormod and Sothe were still standing by my desk.

"What was that about?" Tormod asks me.

"N-Nothing." I say while sitting down.

"Nothing? She looked pissed off to me."

I smile at him. "S-She was just t-telling me something."

"Ok, students. Take your seats so we can begin." Mr. Smith, the teacher, says from his desk.

Everyone sits down and he starts class. As he talked I dozed off into my own little world. I'm scared about what is coming and what the raven girl said. I love Ranulf, though. Won't they ever accept that? And that dream? I think it's connected to what is going to happen.

I try to get my mind off of those thoughts and concentrate in class. It is really hard to, though. After a few minutes I can actually listen to the teacher without dozing off. Mr. Smith is a nice teacher. He is not boring and he doesn't talk in monotone the entire time like most teachers. He is pretty funny, too.

The bell rang signaling the end of class. Mr. Smith handed us a worksheet and said that was homework. I put it in my bag. Students leave the room and I stand up. I walk to archery class in a daze. It didn't feel like I was there. Like my body was moving on its own.

_**Leonardo's POV:**_

During archery class I noticed that Mina was not paying attention. She hit her target but she doesn't seem conscious about it. I noticed Mr. Shinon giving her a funny look, too. I haven't seen her like this before.

Class ended and we were packing our things. I walk up to her. "Mina?"

She looks at me a little surprised but then smiles. "Hi Leonardo. What's up?"

I shake my head. "Nothing. Let's just go to lunch, ok?"

She nods. "Ok."

While we walked that baka Edward came over and started chatting up a storm. At one point I think he did notice Mina's weird attitude and tried to make her laugh. She did smile and giggle. After that she finally seemed present and she talked to Edward. I guess the baka has his uses. In a short while we made it to the cafeteria and we sat at our usual table. I look at Mina and notice she doesn't have a lunch.

"Are you buying?" I ask.

Mina looks at the table like she just noticed the absence of food for herself. "I'm not hungry." She replies.

I hand her one of my Clementine's. "Just eat something."

She takes it and smiles blushing a little. "Th-Thank you." Mina says in her sweet voice. She is back to normal. That's good.

Micaiah and Sothe sit across from us with their food. Edward and Micaiah get into some conversation. Sothe stays quiet and listens like normal. He does talk once in a while, though. I talk a little bit but I keep an eye on Mina. She is slowly eating the fruit I gave her and is in deep thought. It's probably best not to bug her.

_**Ranulf's POV:**_

Mina is sitting with her friends. She is eating some kind of fruit slowly and thinking about something. I grab my bottle of water and walk over to her. Maybe if I talk to her she will feel better. Micaiah sees me but I put my finger over my lips. She nods and continues to talk with the others. I then hold the bottle in front of Mina's face. She takes it slowly then looks at me. She immediately smiles with blush on her cheeks.

"H-Hi!" she stutters happily.

"Hey. How are you doing?" I ask smiling.

"Ok. How about you?"

I smirk. "I'm good now that I got to see your smiling face."

She blushes deeper. It warms my heart. It's me that's making her do that. No one else. As long as I have her around I am the happiest person alive.

"I better go. Bye." I say to her. I kiss her forehead then walk away.

_**Mina's POV:**_

When Ranulf walks away I have a light bulb moment. I just remembered something. My blush fades as I dig in my bag. I find the container of Monkey Bread and put it on the table.

"I-If you want a-a piece, g-go ahead." I tell everyone.

Edward goes for one right away. I giggle as he eats it up. Then Leonardo, Micaiah, and Sothe reach for one. Leonardo and Edward's eyes grow wide, Micaiah smiles, and Sothe nods approvingly. I smile knowing what they are going to say.

"This is good!" Edward exclaims. "My sis is a great cook!"

"I agree." Leonardo says. "The cinnamon goes very well with the bread."

"Did you make this after school?" Micaiah asks. I nod. "I thought so. Mist and I have talked and she told me what happened in class. That's very neat."

Sothe, of course, stays silent. I reply, "Thank you!" I look at the clock and sigh. "I better go to class." I then look at everyone sitting at the table. "Bye." I say while standing up.

"Bye." They all reply in unison. Yes, including Sothe. A bit of a shock but oh well.

I exit the cafeteria drinking my bottle of water. Ranulf is very nice. I look at my hands and wonder where my container is but then I remember. My friends ate the last of it. Too bad. That was really good bread. I wish I could have eaten more but I wanted my friends to have some, too.

I make it to Guitar class and sit. This class is fun. Mrs. Roxanne gives us really cool songs to play so it was easy to pay attention and enjoy it. English was alright, too. At least I didn't fall asleep. That is good. The day is quickly over. People are leaving school. I walk to where the water fountain is and sit at my favorite bench. I take off my backpack and sigh. Pretty soon one of the fan girls are going to find me. I will get hurt pretty badly. Well, it is either that or stay away from Ranulf.

The leader of the group stood in front of me and I look at her. I can't tell what her expression is. She is either mad at me or happy she is going to hurt me. I'll go with both. I stand up leaving my backpack on the bench. The girl looks me up and down.

"Ready?" she asks in a cold tone.

I look around. A few students are on the school grounds but no one seems to notice us. I look back at her.

"Ready."

Then just like that I am surrounded by them following them to who knows where. It is scary when you are a target of some really angry girls who will do anything to get what they want. I thought only guys ganged up and fought. Now I know that is not true. Anybody could if they wanted to.

"Jessica." The raven girl says to the leader.

"Yes?"

Then they start whispering to each other. The raven laguz seems worried about something. Jessica looks angry and threatening. After a few minutes the raven girl gives up but she seems tense. Something has to be going on. She looks at me and my eyes grow wide. It looks like she is truly sorry for me. No attitude of mocking, just flat out sad. Was she trying to help me? I smile slightly and nod my head. She looks away quickly.

"We're here." She says tensely.

I look around. It is a quiet part of town. No one is walking by at that moment but I do see a few cute houses nearby. The place we are standing at is an abandoned house that looks really old. Windows were broken and the paint was dull with a few spots missing. When we climb the stairs to the parch it creaked like it was in pain. The door is opened slowly by Jessica. We enter the place. Wallpaper is peeling off and cobwebs seem to be everywhere. Old pictures and paintings hang on the wall untouched.

"Ellie." Jessica says to the raven girl.

"Yeah?"

"Stay outside and keep a look out."

Ellie nods and goes towards the door. She gives me one more look then leaves through the door shutting it. I hear the creaking of the porch steps then nothing.

"Now…" Jessica draws out. I look at her. "You know why we are after you, right?" I nod. "The only way for this to end is if you don't see Ranulf anymore. That should be simple."

"I'm not leaving Ranulf and that is final." I firmly say to her.

She glares at me. Then she sighs. "If that is what you want then so be it."

With the snap of Jessica's manicured fingers it began. The girls rush at me. I try to dodge as much as possible. They got plenty of hits on me, though. I keep thinking to myself, 'Don't fall, don't scream, and don't let them beat you down.' I am not going to lie. It hurts a lot. I can't explain how much it hurts. But I don't want to give them the satisfaction of seeing me in pain and crumble.

"Stop!" Jessica commands them.

The girls stop and look at her. She walks forward. I look at her confused. She looks calm on the outside but her eyes show mixed emotions. Anger, confusion, and something else. Sadness?

"Why… Why are you just standing there?" she asks me.

I sigh. "I-It should be o-obvious." It hurts to talk.

"You're the only girl I had to do this to…" Jessica says in disbelief.

My eyes grow wide. "Th-There were others?"

"Two before you. The first one left after a few pranks. The second one was some work but she did leave." Jessica explains. Her voice becomes angry. "Why won't you leave?" I stay silent not knowing how to put it into words. She 'tsks' and turns around. "You girls do whatever you want. I'm leaving. Mina doesn't have a good enough answer for me to stay around."

I keep my eye on Jessica and make my hands into fists. One girl steps forward. "Wait!" They look at me along with Jessica. "There is one very important reason you don't seem to realize." I say amazed at myself. For a split second I thought I heard running feet. "I… I…" I say trying to speak the words out loud. The footsteps are closer now. I yell, "I love Ranulf!"

The door slams open revealing a group of people. I look at them surprised. The group of girls also look.

"Mina?" a familiar voice asks out. The girls move so I can see the people better. Ranulf looks at me. "Mina!"

"R-Ranulf." I say feeling myself grow weaker by the second. Faintly I can see Ike, Soren, Mist, and Rolf. I smile weakly. "I'm s-so glad y-you all came f-for me." Then I fall to the ground.

I can faintly hear the group yell my name. "Mina!" I pass out and my world becomes black.

_**Mist's POV (a few minutes before):**_

Rolf and I are talking on the way out of the school. When we pass this bench I stop.

"Mist? What's wrong?" Rolf asks.

I walk to the bench confused. Sitting on it was a backpack. I look around to see no one near it. When I get a better look I gasp. This is Mina's bag! Why is it here? Where is she? Rolf stands next to me.

"Hey… Isn't that Mina's bag?" he asks. I nod my head. "Where is she?"

"I don't know." I say looking around again. "I'm going to talk to my brother."

"Why?"

"This could be serious." I reply looking at him.

He nods his head and says, "Ok. Let's go then."

I pick up Mina's bag and walk with Rolf to the office. I really do hope that this is nothing serious but I have this bad feeling in the back of my head. I hope she's ok.

_**Ike's POV:**_

Soren and I are discussing about the school trip that is coming up. It involves a lot of paperwork that I don't like. It's very boring to go through but Soren pushes me to get it done and over with. Rolf and Mist walk through the door of our office room.

"Mist." I say surprised. She usually doesn't come in here unless it was something important. "What's wrong?"

She lifts up a backpack. "We found Mina's bag." She explains.

"But no Mina." Rolf concludes.

I look at Soren. He stands up and so do I. "Let's go and look around." I say.

We all leave the office. There were some students still on school grounds. No sign of Mina, though. We start asking some students if they have seen her. So far no one knew. Then I see Reina talking with Janaff and Ulki. I walk up to them.

"Have you guys seen Mina?" I ask.

Reina thinks for a minute. "No, sorry. Ulki?"

"No." he replies.

"Janaff?"

He is thinking about something. Then I see him brighten up. "Yes, I did!" he exclaims. I smile happy to get a lead. "She was sitting on a bench when this girl came to talk to her. Suddenly a whole group came and took her somewhere."

My eyes grow wide. "Are you sure?"

"Positive." He says nodding his head.

Soren, Mist, and Rolf were at my side now listening. "Do you know where they went?" I ask.

Janaff thinks for a minute. "I saw them turn left but I'm not sure where they're going. There is not that much on that side of town. Just a bunch of houses, an abandoned house, the hospital…"

I put my hand up to stop him. "Did you say abandoned house?"

"The creepy old one?" Mist asks.

"The one and only." He replies.

"It's not far from here." Soren comments.

"We better check it out." I say.

"Us three can fly and help if you want." Reina suggests.

I nod. "Thanks. I appreciate it."

The three hawk laguzes took to the air. We start running towards the direction they are headed. As we ran Ranulf stopped Mist and Rolf. He was pointing to the bag Mist was still holding. Soren and I kept running so we wouldn't lose Reina. Shortly Ranulf was running with us along with Mist and Rolf who were catching up.

_**Ranulf's POV:**_

Mist had explained to me what was going on so I followed them. Those dang fan girls! When will they ever leave Mina and me alone? They drove away the other girls but not this time. I'm so in love with her that my heart aches. I never had this feeling until I met her. I think I have truly fallen in love with someone.

We were all in front of the old house. A hawk girl is flying in the air. The other three hawks were there talking to her. I look at the group. No one was moving.

"What are we waiting for?" I ask them. "Let's go in."

"Right." Rolf says. Everyone else nods their head agreeing.

We run down the pathway and up the porch steps.

"I love Ranulf!" I hear Mina yell.

My heart skips a beat. I didn't have time to stop, though. I slam the door open. The girls look at us with surprise on their faces.

"Mina?" I ask. They move and I see her. My heart breaks. "Mina!"

She was all beaten up and looked like she was in pain. I could tell it was hard for her to stand. Bruises cover Mina's body and a few scrapes. Why? I didn't think they would go this far. I guess I underestimated them.

"R-Ranulf." I hear Mina stutter. She sounds so weak it scares me. She smiles. "I'm s-so glad y-you all came f-for me." She then falls over.

"Mina!" we all yell. She doesn't move. **(a/n: It's now present time.)**

I run up to her and hold her close to me. I look up to see Jessica stand there with shock on her face. I glare at her.

"R-R-Ranulf! I-"

"Shut it." I tell her coldly. I feel so pissed off it's not even funny. Jessica flinches. "You and I dated once. That's it. Just because I broke up with you doesn't mean you have to hurt all the girls that get near me." I explain to her.

Tears form in her eyes. "B-But I still love you." She says. This makes me feel sick.

I stand up with Mina still in my arms. "I don't." I say to her flat out.

Jessica falls to her knees sobbing. The other girls surround her trying to comfort her. I turn around and walk out the door.

"I'm going to report this to the principal." Soren states.

"I'll get their names." Ike says.

So they both get the girls' names and leave.

Mist is teary eyed. "Oh… poor Mina." She says. Rolf hugs her trying to make her feel better.

I leave the house walking down the road back to the dorms. On the way it starts to pour. It's like the weather knew what kind of mood I was in. Maybe my feelings are so strong it controlled it.

"R-Ranulf." A weak voice says from my arms.

I look at Mina to see her eyes open. I try to smile for her. "It's ok." I encourage her. "Everything is going to be ok."

No matter how tough I try to be for her I still feel the tears stinging my eyes. I knew it wasn't the rain since it felt warm. Suddenly a small, gentle hand touches my cheek and gently wipes it. I look at her in shock.

She smiles and I look into her midnight blue eyes. "D-Don't cry. I-I like your s-smile better." Mina's hand drops and her eyes close.

"Mina!" I say surprised. "Mina!" I try to wake her up. Her eyes won't open, though.

I walk through the rain as fast as possible. Everything is soaked by the cold rain that is pouring. Even Mina is soaked. Finally I see the dorm and rush in. Inside there is Reina, Ulki, Janaff, and to my surprise Lenna and Mordecai.

Lenna looks at Mina and gasps. "Oh my God!" she exclaims. She rushes over. It looks a little weird since she has that cast on her leg. "Poor Mina!"

"It's all their fault." Reina says harshly. "If they weren't such a bunch of idiots..."

"You guys should probably clean her up." I say to them changing the subject. "It wouldn't be good if she got sick."

Both girls nod. "Carry her to our floor." Lenna orders.

I do as told with the guys following. When we reach the top floor Reina holds her hands out. "I'll take her from here." I hesitate. She sighs. "Ranulf. Hand her over. She will be fine." After a few seconds I make myself give Mina to her. "Thank you."

Reina and Lenna go into the girls' bathroom. I sit down against the wall and wait for them. Mordecai is leaning against the wall next to me. Ulki and Janaff are against the opposite wall. Lenna walks out of the bathroom to enter her room. Then she comes out again holding some PJ's.

Mordecai looks at me. "You should dry off, too." He suggests. "You don't want to catch a cold, do you?"

I look at him. "I want to wait for Mina."

"The girls are going to need you to carry her to her room. You can't do that if you are soaked."

I stare at the wall for a long time. He's right. I hate it when he is right. I take a few deep breaths. "Fine." I stand up and leave.

_**Mordecai's POV:**_

When Ranulf left Janaff sighs. "I'm so stupid."

Ulki looks at him confused. "Why do you say that?"

"Because I didn't stop those girls from taking her!" he exclaims. "I thought it was normal. I should have known something was wrong." He explains calmer.

Ulki puts his hand on his friend's shoulder. "No one else noticed. You're ok. It isn't your fault."

"But I'm supposed to have the best eyes." Janaff says completely sad.

That is true. It's known around the whole school that Janaff has the best eyesight among the hawk laguz. Ulki has the best hearing among the hawk laguz.

"I'm supposed to have the best ears but I didn't hear anything suspicious." Ulki says.

Janaff stays quiet. Ulki also becomes silent. I need to think of something. The aura is becoming how Lenna would say, 'Too depressing for my taste.' I laugh in my head. That is exactly what she would say.

"It's thanks to your help that they found her." I tell Janaff. He looks up at me in surprise. "If you haven't seen her at all she would still be out there in worse condition than she is now."

"He's right." Ranulf says climbing up the stairs. He is dried off with sweatpants and a t-shirt on. "Thank you for that."

Janaff looks between the both of us then at Ulki. Ulki nods at him smiling. Janaff smiles at all of us. "Thanks for the support. I'm sorry I became so depressing. It's so unlike me."

At that moment Lenna steps out helping Reina carry Mina. Ranulf rushes over to take Mina from them. I can tell he is in a lighter mood but not completely better. I think once she wakes up and talks to him he will feel better.

"Take her to our room." Lenna orders. "She needs to lie down in her bed for a while."

Ranulf nods and carries her to the room. Reina walks over to us.

"What's her condition?" Ulki asks seriously.

Reina sighs. "She woke up a few times but she is exhausted. There are a lot of bruises and scrapes but they are not severe."

Everyone sighs in relief. "Why don't we all go home and rest." Ulki suggests. Janaff and Reina nod their heads.

"I'm going to check on the others." I inform them.

"Ok. Bye." Reina says.

"Bye." I say.

They leave and I enter Lenna's room. She is sitting on her bed silently looking at Mina. Ranulf is sitting next to Mina with his feet on the floor, back towards her, and his head is facing towards the window. He must be in deep thought right now. I sit next to my girlfriend and wrap my arm around her.

"She's going to be fine." I whisper to her.

Lenna nods. "I know. It's just… I don't know." She leans her head against me. "I'm so mad, confused, and sad at the same time. I come home from the hospital just to find out she is in trouble again." She laughs. "I bet she didn't expect any of this to happen when she moved here." I look down at her to see tears falling. "My poor little, fragile, and shy angel."

I squeeze her tighter. I look at Ranulf to see him looking at Mina. Things are very sad around here. When Mina wakes up I know things will lighten up again and things will be back to the way they were before. I hope the fan girls change for the better. That they will learn the error of their ways and stop bringing sadness.

"I'm going back to our room." Ranulf says looking at me.

I nod. "Ok. I better do the same." I look at Lenna worriedly. "Will you be ok, babe?"

She looks at me and nods. "Yeah." She smiles. "We all need to rest up for tomorrow."

I lightly kiss her on the top of her head. "Don't forget to eat something, alright?"

"Alright. Night."

"Night." I give her one more squeeze then stand up.

I walk out of the room and I can see Ranulf standing next to the door. In silence we walk down the stairs to our floor. Ranulf goes to the room and I head for the kitchen. I look in the fridge to see what is available. I see two boxes of leftover pizza. I remember the other day when a few friends had ordered it. Since there are two boxes they won't mind if two slices go missing. I take the two slices and reheat them. I then bring them to my room. I see Ranulf and hand him one of the slices. He looks at me confused.

"You need to eat." I explain to him. "You haven't had anything since lunch."

He takes it and slowly eats it. I sit on my bed and eat my slice. It still tastes pretty good. It is silent in the room with none of us talking. I think we both need the quiet. To be able to take a breather and think for a little bit.

Even though time seems slow eventually we finish eating and we get ready to go to sleep. It is early but we could use the rest. Especially Ranulf. I hope my Lenna is getting her rest. I want to be able to see her beautiful smile in the morning and go to school. I turned off the lights and lie down on my bed. I close my eyes and fall into a deep sleep.

* * *

**How did you guys like this chapter? I know it is kind of depressing but I promise the next chapter will be filled with happiness. Please, don't forget to review and tell me your thoughts. Alright? Now, let's go on to the list of reviewers.**

_**Kamai-Rui**_

**_Althenian Memories_**

**_andria-kinz (Did you like how I used your OC? Let me know if I accidentaly made her OOC.)_**

**__****_SunLord89_**

**_Hacrua_**

**_GamerKnight_**

**_HappyBunny855 (again, not on the computer but in person) ^_^_**

**Wanna be part of the list? Very simple. All you have to do is REVIEW! I answer all of my reviews. Trust me. The people who are on the list are my witnesses! lolz Can't wait to see you guys in the next chapter! Bye bye for now!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Hi everyone! I missed you all so much! I'm sorry this is really late! I usually try to post a new chapter once a month but I totally skipped October! I hope you all can forgive me! Plus, my friend wanted to help but she sent me her rough draft pretty late. But thanks to her I got a bit of Lenna's POV in there so I appreciate that. How have you all been doing? For Halloween I dressed up as a French Maid so that was interesting. lolz. How about you guys? Anyway, I never expected the fan girls to play such a huge role or for them to take this long to deal with. This is the last chapter of this huge drama, though. It will get a bit simpler along the next few chapters. The story will also be a bit more like the game. Literally. You will see what I mean once I post those chapters up. Well, what are you waiting for? READ! That's what you came here to do, right? Go go go! XD**

_**Disclaimer:**__** I do not own Fire Emblem or the characters. I own my OCs. Well, except for Reina. She belongs to Andra-kinz (formaly known as chelise028).**_

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Chapter 9:

_**Lenna's POV:**_

To say I am mad is an understatement. I want to rip their hearts out and give them new ones so I can rip those out, too. I sit next to Mina and smooth her hair out. I will make them pay. Just looking at her bruise covered face made me want to go on a rampage. I got up and grabbed my notebook from my nightstand and a purple pen. I then went straight to work. I start thinking of legal ways to hurt those bitches. I look over my schedule thinking of who are in my classes. There are seven girls total in the fan group.

English with Mr. Calamito 'None in that one.'

Biology with Mrs. Redbird 'Ha! There are two girls in that class.'

World History with Mrs. McCord 'Dang it. None.'

Gourmet Cooking with Miss. Suu 'YES! Two in that one._'_

Geometry with Mr. Pie 'There is one named Sarah but I can't do anything to her. I do love Mr. Pie's name, though!'

P.E. I had that with Mr. Lin 'Man that guy is hot and there is one in there. '

Spanish 3 with La Sra. 'Butterfly me ha gustado en su clase, pero no hay una sola alma que tengo que ir después de allí.' (Mrs. Butterfly I liked it in her class but there isn't a single soul I have to go after in there.)

RAPORCO [Radiant production company] 'THERE! The last one that I need is in that class!'

Now it was the planning. I quickly write down the plans in my notebook.

_**Battle plan**_

_2nd per. - Well we are out studding felines and next class is when we're doing tigers. Oh perfect! A tiger gone wild because of something that they had._

_4__th__ per. - What are we making? Oh double chocolate cookies! What would happen if they 'accidentally' fell and they were burned by, oh I don't know, falling into an oven or on a few hot cookie pans? _

_6__th__ - What could I do in P.E.? Well maybe I could get I guy to trip while carrying a really heavy thing on them… Yeah, let's do that._

_8__th__ - Let's see… We're doing the light and setting for our play and she has no major role so….. What if she 'fell' off one of the banisters on the cat walk?_

Hee hee, this is going to be fun. I close my notebook and place it back on the desk and head back to my bed. I grab my pillow and blanket and head back over to Mina's bed. Kisa follows me and rests on my lap as I leaned on the side of her bed. I then fall asleep.

_**Mordecai's POV:**_

I wake up to a dark room. I look at the clock to see it is only 4 in the morning. I get up and exit my room. I better check on Lenna while I am up so I climb up the steps to her dorm room. I turn the door knob to find it unlocked. I quietly open the door.

Lenna is resting on the side of Mina's bed with her head on the bed. Kisa is sleeping on Lenna's lap. I smile lightly at the scene. They all look so peaceful sleeping. She really cares about Mina. I can see why she says they are twins. They don't have to look alike to share that special bond.

The kitten wakes up and looks at me. She meows and gets off of her lap. I gently pick up Lenna and place her on her own bed. I then pick up the blanket and spread it across her body. Kisa hops on the bed and makes herself comfortable near Lenna. Then as quietly as I came in I leave shutting the door. I'm going to go see if I can fall asleep again. Let's see how much time I get in before I have to get ready for school.

_**Lenna's POV:**_

A fuzzy thing tickles my tail so I open my eyes. It is Kisa's tail as she is lightly sleeping next to me. I sit up in my bed and stretch out my sore muscles. Wait a second. Bed? Wasn't I sleeping beside Mina's bed? I sniff the air smelling Mordecai's wonderful aroma. He must have checked on me and put me in my bed. I smile. I love sniffing his smell early in the morning. It is the best thing to wake up to.

I get up trying not to disturb Kisa. I grab a few pieces of clothing and things and headed to the bathroom. I dress into a pair of blue jeans a black top with a black halter top that tied around my neck and had a pretty swirly white pattern on one side. I then put my studded belt on with a sweater that went to the middle of my stomach, black and light green hi-top sneakers, and my favorite wing earrings. Finally I put on my new pair of fingerless gloves that have skulls on them.

I head back to the room and pack up my things into my Gir bag. That includes my Gir wallet, iPod, notebooks, coloring stuff and pencils, a pack of Lucky Sticks, and my drawing book. I leave the bag by the desk. I take one more look at Mina before leaving for the kitchen to get some breakfast. I sure am starving. **(a/n: A link for what Lenna's outfit looks like will be posted on my profile if you guys are interested. I think Gir is so adorable! XD)**

_**Mina's POV:**_

I open my eyes. I can tell that I am in my room nicely under the covers of my bed. I sit up and all the pain comes back. My whole body feels tense. I stand up trying not to fall. I'm wearing my PJs. That's when I vaguely remember Reina and Lenna helping me. Then I remember Ranulf. I look at the clock to read 6:40 am. Kisa is sleeping on Lenna's bed but there is no Lenna.

I unsteadily walk out of the room and down the stairs to the second floor. I almost reached the room when the door opens. Mordecai steps out. I look up at him and his eyes become wide.

"Mina!" he gasps out.

I calmly smile. "Hi, Mordecai."

"What are you doing up?" he asks.

I shrug but wince at the movement. "I-I couldn't sleep." I play with my fingers. "Is Ranulf here?"

Mordecai looks in the room. He looks back at me and nods. "He's a little out of it." He warns me.

I nod understanding. He then leaves down the stairs leaving the open for me. I cautiously walk in. I can see a lamps glow in the room lighting up the furniture. The layout is basicly the same as my dorm. The only difference is the sheets and the stuff. I see Ranulf sitting on what I assume to be his bed. He is staring at the floor his hands closed together. I take a deep breath.

"R-Ranulf."

I see his body jump then his eyes on me. "Mina?"

I walk over and sit next to him. I smile. "Hi."

"Hi. How are you feeling?"

"A bit stiff." I say stretching my arms above my head yawning. It hurt but it also felt better. I put my arms down. "How are you?"

Ranulf smiles. "Better than yesterday." Gently he wraps his arms around me. "I'm so glad you are ok."

I hug him back. "Me, too."

He pulls away putting his hands on my shoulders. He looks into my eyes. "I heard what you yelled yesterday."

I look at Ranulf confused. What is he talking about? I think back to yesterday. My eyes become huge balls when I realize what he is saying. When I was in that abandoned house I yelled, 'I love Ranulf!' at Jessica. My cheeks become red so I look away.

"I love you, too." He says.

I look at him in shock. Tears fill my eyes and I smile. I can't seem to say anything. He wraps his arms around my waist and kisses me. It lasts for a while. I'm the happiest girl in the world right now.

_**Lenna's POV:**_

I sit in the kitchen eating my toast with Nutella on it. When I start my revenge I'm going to start with Jessica, of course. The ring leader of this whole shit. I stare at my cast in anger. I don't care that they broke my leg. It's the fact that they dare touch my precious Mina.

"Lenna?" I jump and look at the entrance in surprise. Mordecai is standing there with a worried expression on his handsome face.

I try to smile. "Hi, babe! What's up?"

"Is something bothering you?" he asks me.

I shake my head. "No, nothing is wrong."

He looks at me in disbelief. "Are you sure?"

I sigh but keep the smile. "Of course!" I can't let him in on my plan. If I did he would definitely try to stop me.

He smiles. "Ok, if you say so."

I stand up. "Let my grab my bag from my room then we can walk together."

He nods. I walk into my room and grab my bag from where the desk is. I notice that Mina is not in her bed. Maybe she went for a walk. I hope she stays here today. I don't want her to school today. Maybe if she tries to go Ranulf will stop her for me. I quickly pet Kisa.

"Bye, sweetie." I tell her gently.

Then I walk out of the room shutting the door. I leave it unlocked so when Mina comes back she can just walk in. Hopefully she stays home today. She needs the rest. Plus, I don't want her to see the ugly things I'm going to do to those bitches. I take a deep breath. Calm down. You will deal with it soon. I walk out showing Mordecai my best smile.

"Let's get going." I say smiling.

He smiles back. God, I love his smile. "Ok, love."

I take his hand and walk down the stairs and out into the sunny day. I'll probably have to get Jessica at lunch. That would be the best time to grab her and mess with her a little. Hell is going to break loose today.

_**Mina's POV:**_

"You are NOT going to school today." Ranulf scolds me again as I climb up the stairs.

"Yes, I am." I reply yet again. "I need to go." I continue climbing the stairs and Ranulf gently helps me even though he is angry with me.

"But you are injured!"

"I need to see my friends. They need to know that I am ok."

"I can tell them for you. Please," he says begging, "get some rest. It's not going to hurt you to stay in your room for one day."

I look at him with pleading eyes. "Please let me go. If it is too much, I promise I will leave early. Just let me TRY."

Ranulf sighs angrily and looks ahead. When we reach my floor he stops so I stop and look at him. He stares at me for a little making me feel uncomfortable. Is he going to yell at me? Did I make him that upset? He sighs again.

"Fine." He says. I smile happily. "But," he quickly says pointing at me, "you better go straight to the dorms when you can't handle it."

I nod enthusiastically. "Thank you."

"Go get ready. I will wait out here for you." Ranulf says with his mood lightening up.

I nod again and enter the room. I change into a short sleeve white shirt and a pair of jeans. It hurt changing but I suck it up and deal with it. Then I put on my shoes carefully and pack up my bag. I quickly grab my notebook and stuff it in my bag. I see Kisa staring at me so I quickly pet her and say bye. I step out and lock the door.

"Let me at least carry you." Ranulf says to me.

I'm about to object but I think about it. It is hard getting down the stairs and he is letting me go to school. I better comply before I worry him too much. He is stressed enough as it is.

"Ok. Only for going down the stairs, though."

He smiles. "Alright. Get on my back."

I hesitantly walk behind him. He lowers himself so I can get on him better. I climb on his back and he stands up holding my legs and I place my hands on his shoulders.

"Ready?" Ranulf asks looking back at me. I nod my head. He smiles. "Here we go."

He then climbs down the stairs and I close my eyes resting my head against him. Just don't think about falling and you will be ok. Nothing bad will happen. We made it to the bottom. I put my head up and poke his shoulder.

"Can you put me down here? I can walk."

Ranulf looks at me. "Are you sure?"

I nod. He gently puts me down and I straighten out my clothes. I take his hand and he looks down to look at me.

"W-Walk me to Archery?" I shyly ask.

He smiles. "Whatever you want, Mina."

I blush and smile in return. We cross the road and down the path leading to the gym. This morning is such a calm and nice one. Nice change of pace for once. It is very warm out even though it just rained yesterday evening. I'm glad I didn't catch a cold. That would have definitely sucked along with having all of these bruises. I feel bad for Jessica. I bet she just loved Ranulf a lot. I mean, sure she went too far and went about it the wrong way, but she just cares a lot. Just like how I love him so much. He is just that great of a guy.

We are now in the back of the gym. I tell Ranulf bye and he leaves. I walk ahead to see Leonardo practicing early as always. He is so concentrated on the target he doesn't even notice me walking towards him. I stay quiet so I don't distract him. Leonardo stares at the target. In a flash he releases the arrow and it flies to land on the bull's-eye.

"Nice shot." I tell him.

He turns around surprised. "Mina…"

I smile at him warmly. "Good morning."

He slightly smiles in return. "Morning." He looks down a bit at me and frowns. "What happened to you?"

I look down noticing the very visible bruises on my arms. I frown disappointed in myself. Why did I wear short sleeves? Boy, I sure am smart. I look at Leonardo again and smile. "I just ran into a little bit of trouble."

He glares. "What kind of trouble?"

"I-It's no big d-deal." I reply trying to end the subject.

Leonardo opens his mouth but no words come out. I give him a pleading look letting him know that I don't want to talk about it. He sighs.

"Never mind." Then he looks at me with gentle eyes that I have not seen before. "If you ever feel like telling me, don't be afraid to. I will listen."

I smile. "I appreciate that."

Leonardo then returns to the target he was practicing on. I sit down in the grass while students slowly start showing up. I think some of them noticed the bruises but I ignore the stares and continue reading.

"Leo!" someone yells.

I look up to see Edward running towards Leonardo. Then he stops in front of him panting.

"What is it, baka?" I hear him reply.

"Have you seen my cell phone?"

"No, why?"

"Because I can't find it anywhere!"

"When did you last have it?"

"This morning when I was…" Edward's face goes into shock with realization.

"What?" Leonardo asks worried.

"SHIT!" Edward exclaims. Then he runs back in the direction he came from.

I stare at where he ran to with wide eyes. What the heck was that about? I look at Leonardo and he seems a bit surprised. Then he calmly goes back to practice. Students whisper among themselves.

"Shut up and start practicing!" Mr. Shinon loudly says to the students.

Very quickly everyone went to the targets and started practicing. I stand up leaving my bag and book on the ground. I pick up my bow and went to the targets. I don't know if I can do this. My arms hurt enough as it is. Well, there is one way to find out.

I take an arrow and got ready to aim. When I pulled the arrow back against the string my arms ached. I quickly let go and the arrow hits the edge of the target. That was horrible! Yeah, it hurts. I try again. It hurt just as much but I didn't let go right away. This time I tried aiming. This time it was closer to the center but not quite there yet. Usually I do really good but with all this pain it is hard to concentrate.

"Are you ok?" Leo says from next to me.

I look at him taken by surprise. I was so preoccupied I didn't even notice that my target was next to his. I rub my arms trying to get rid of the pain and smile at him.

"Yeah. It's just a little hard to concentrate today."

He puts down his stuff and stands behind me. I blush when he touches my hands and puts the arrow against the string of the bow. I flinch at the pain of my arms.

"Ease up your arms a bit." He tells me. "They're too tense."

I loosen up my arms and the pain eases up a bit. My eyes widen. This might be bearable.

"Look at the target and don't think about anything else." I nod.

Then he backs away back to his spot but still looking at me. I aim at the center then close my eyes. Once I knew my mind was clear I let go. I hear the 'swoosh' of the arrow as it flew through the air and the 'thunk' when it hit the target. I open my eyes and see it dead center. I smile brightly and look at Leonardo.

"Thank you so much!" I exclaim excitedly. "Now I feel like I can concentrate better!"

Leonardo smiles. "That's good to hear."

Then we both continued practicing. Even though my arms were still sore I could live through it and actually aim. The whole clearing-the-mind thing really works! Class just kind of seemed to fly by with me and I was liking it. I could feel Leonardo looking at me from time to time but I just kept shooting my arrows.

The bell rang ending class.

"Next class I'm going to teach you how to do a critical attack." Mr. Shinon explains to us. Some students started smiling excitedly. "Make sure you clean up your things. Then you can go ahead and leave to your next class."

I clean up quickly and go to my stuff. I put my book in my bag and stand up ready to leave.

"Hey, Mina." Mr. Shinon says.

I turn around and face him. "Yes, sir?"

"I noticed those bruises on your arms." He says pointing to them. "Is everything ok?"

I nod. "Yeah. I just ran into some trouble yesterday but I'm fine now."

"Does it hurt?"

"A little but it's getting bearable." I reply honestly.

He stares at me making me nervous. Did I say something to make him stare? Then suddenly he turns around muttering. I could have heard wrong but I think he was muttering something like, 'Geez… She's just like frickin' Rolf.' I giggle. His muttering always makes me laugh. Mr. Shinon is a strange teacher but not a bad one.

I turn around and head for Mr. Nolan's class. I don't see Leonardo around so he must have gone ahead. I walk into the building noticing something was wrong with me. My legs were starting to feel like lead as I dragged them down the hallway. I go walk just in case I fall over or something. My vision becomes blurry so I stop for a few seconds. This is not good. I feel like I'm going to pass out any second. I lean against the wall. Once I have regained my composure I start walking again. I put my hand along the wall for extra support.

I arrive at Mr. Nolan's class feeling woozy but still alive. I don't know how much longer I can last but I am trying. I automatically see Edward and Leonardo at their desks talking to each other. I carefully walk in and stand near them.

"Hi." I quietly greet them.

They both look at me and Edward beams. "Mina!" He then stands up and hugs me tightly.

"Owe." I mutter quietly.

He pulls back confused. "Is something wrong?"

"Look at her arms." Leonardo says.

Edward looks down at my arms and hear him gasp. "Wha… What happened?"

I look away and stare at the ground. "U-Um. I-I'm just r-really klutzy."

I look at Edward to see him still surprised. I get nervous under his stare. Then in a snap he looks very angry. "Did someone hurt you?"

I back up away from him. I open my mouth to say something but I feel dizzy again like before. I hold my hand to my head. The room spins and it is blurry. What is going on with me? I blink quickly trying to clear my vision but it is not working. I stagger a bit but quickly put my free hand on a desk.

"Mina?" Leonardo asks.

Someone rushes to the teacher's desk. From the corner of my eye I see it is Soren talking to the teacher. Mr. Nolan slightly nods. I then watch Soren walk towards us. He has that serious face on but something else. A certain leadership kicked in. Like he was the teacher of the classroom or something like that.

"Mr. Nolan says you have permission to go to the nurse's office." Soren says. He looks at Leonardo and Edward. "You better take her before she passes out."

I slightly nod even though it makes the weirdness worse. I try to tell him thanks but the words won't come out. Leonardo and Edward both stand on either side of me and lead me out of the room. This day is starting to become difficult. Everything was fine but then I start to feel weak. I need one day of peace and simplicity. I guess Ranulf was right. I should have rested. I just wanted to see my friends and not have them worry. That plan obviously didn't work out well.

Leonardo and Edward were really gentle with me as we walked down the halls. None of them said anything but I wish they would. It's strange having total silence except for the sounds of our footsteps. I want to tell them that I am fine but the words won't come out. Plus they won't believe me. I almost passed out, too. When someone is about to pass out that usually means the person is not feeling well.

We were in front of the office and we all step in. My world wasn't so dizzy anymore but I did feel sick. I need to sit down soon or else it will be worse again. The nurse was not in the room so we sit down in the chairs along the walls while we wait.

"Thanks, you guys." I say to the both of them.

"Anything for you, little sis." Edward replies smiling. I smile in return.

"How are you feeling?" Leonardo asks.

"A bit better. I still feel dizzy, though."

A man then walks into the room from somewhere in the back. It is Mr. Rhys. I remember seeing him before. I remember that I was in the main office when he came in to see Principal Titania.

Edward jumps up and rushes to him. Mr. Rhys' eyes widen in surprise of his quick. "Can you please help Mina?" Edward asks. "She is not feeling well!"

Mr. Rhys smiles gently. "Why, of course I can." He then looks at me. "Please come this way."

I stand up with Leonardo's help. I didn't need it but it is nice to have his support. We all walk into the back where there are a few beds in the room and curtains that go around them. There is a rack of medicine nearby and other health supplies a school nurse might need.

"Why don't you sit down here?" Mr. Rhys suggests pointing to the one closest to us.

I go and sit down on the bed. Leonardo and Edward stand nearby leaning against the wall.

"Lie down while I go find the thermometer." Mr. Rhys orders.

I nod and lie down. He leaves to his office. I can hear stuff being moved. Then he comes back with the thing he was looking for in his hands. He puts it near my mouth so I open them. He then places it under my tongue and I close my mouth again. I lay still and waited for Mr. Rhys to take it out. A minute passes by and he takes it out. Then he studies it very closely.

"You don't seem to have a fever." Mr. Rhys says in thought. "Why don't you close your eyes for a few minutes?" I nod my head. He then looks at the two guys still in the room. "You guys may head back to your classroom."

"Yes, sir." Leonardo replies. "Bye, Mina."

"Yeah, bye Mina!" Edward also says.

"Bye you guys." I say to the both of them. They both exit the room.

I lie down on the bed and close my eyes. It is not the most comfortable bed in the world but it's ok. I can still relax and that is exactly what I need right now. Even get a quick nap in. That sounds good to me. I can hear Mr. Rhys leave and the room becomes quiet.

_**Edward's POV:**_

"Do you know who hurt her?" I ask Leonardo.

We are now walking down the halls to our classroom. I really want to find out who did this to her. I might not be the smart like Leo but I know people don't get that many bruises from being 'klutzy'. Mina is not like that, either. She is a cautious type of person. Someone must have hurt her. That is the only good explanation.

"No. She wouldn't tell me." He replies.

"Ugh! I know someone hurt her! We need to find out who."

"What? So you can beat them up to a pulp?"

"Yeah…" I reply my voice darker than normal. I'm just so angry. I need to do something. I wonder if anyone else knows. I suddenly get an idea.

"What is it? I know that look." Leo asks.

"We can ask Ranulf what happened!" I exclaim excitedly.

His eyes become round saucers. "Now?"

I shake my head. "No. Lunchtime."

He puts his finger to his chin in thought. "That does sound like a good idea." I smile. Leo looks at me. "You sure we should snoop around, though? If Mina wants to tell us she will."

"Yeah, but when?" I say loudly throwing my arms in the air.

Leo shrugs. "I don't know. She usually never complains to anyone. She tries to take care of her own problems."

"See? That's why we have to find out for ourselves."

He sighs in defeat. "Ok. We will go talk to him at lunch. Let's hurry back to class."

"Ok!" I say smiling. "Last one there is a rotten egg!" I say sprinting down the hall.

"H-Hey!" I hear Leonardo exclaim.

I look back so see him trying to catch up. I just laugh and keep running. So, we have a plan down. I wonder if Mina is going to come back to class or just go home. We will just have to wait and see.

_**Mina's POV:**_

I quickly sit up realizing that I fell asleep. My vision is normal again and I sigh relaxing. I look at the clock to see that I have 5 more minutes until lunch time. I am hungry. I can't believe I completely missed Mr. Nolan's class. I will have to see him and see what I missed. Mr. Rhys enters the room holding a healing staff.

"How are you feeling?" he asks.

"Ok." I say rubbing my eyes. "My body is a bit stiff, though."

"I might be able to help with that."

Before I could see anything he was right next to me and the staff glowed. My body warms up because of the magic. I quickly start to feel better. Wow. I never got healed by a staff before. This is a neat experience. I look at my bruises. They haven't completely gone away but I don't care if they are there or not. As long as they stop hurting it's ok. Soon enough the staff stopped glowing but a little bit of warmth stayed within me.

I look at him grateful. "W-Wow… Th-That was really n-neat. Thanks a lot!"

He smiles kindly. "I'm glad it helped."

I stand up and stretch. No pain came with it so I'm happy.

"Lunch is about to start. Do you feel well enough to go?" Mr. Rhys asks.

I nod. "Yeah, I feel much better."

"Ok. Don't push yourself. If the pain returns come see me and we will take it from there." He explains.

"Alright." I say while picking up my bag. "Bye."

"Bye."

I exit the place. I then head for lunch. I enter the cafeteria and go straight to the usual table. I see Micaiah and Sothe but no Edward or Leo. Where are those two? I thought they would be here already.

"Hi, Mina!" she greets me.

"Hi, Micaiah." I reply. I then look at Sothe. "Hi."

He nods in recognition. I sit down in my usual seat. It's weird seeing the seats near me empty. I pull out my lunch. I see my notebook and decide to pull it out. Before I close it I notice another notebook that is not mine. I pull it out and study it confused.

"How are you?" Micaiah asks.

"Good." I reply without looking.

I open the notebook. In bold letters I see the page titled 'Battle Plan'. This looks like Lenna's handwriting. I read down the page. I gasp at what is written in there. This is about the fan girls! Lenna is going to take revenge on them!

"Is something wrong?" Sothe asks.

I look up at the both of them. "Do you guys have any idea where Edward and Leo are?"

"No." Micaiah says shaking her head. "I thought you would know."

I abruptly stand up still holding the notebook. "I'll be right back!"

Without waiting for a response I leave the table looking for either Mordecai or Ranulf. I see Ranulf but he is talking to Edward and Leonardo. Sitting at the table near him is Mordecai and Lethe. I quickly walk towards Mordecai. Lethe points at my direction and he looks at me. He looks surprised.

"Mina. Is something wrong?" he asks worriedly.

"Have you seen Lenna?" I ask ignoring his question.

"I saw her this morning. Do you need her for something?"

I shake my head no. "I'm afraid she is going to… do something bad."

"Why do you say that?"

I show him the notebook and open to the page with the plans on it. His eyes grow wide and he immediately stands up.

"We need to look for her."

I nod in agreement. We then leave the cafeteria. Mordecai suddenly runs ahead. I look to see the group of fan girls standing by the water fountain. I quickly run trying to catch up to him. I see Lenna walking towards them. I was about to yell out her name when she suddenly hits Jessica making everyone gasp.

"What the hell?" I hear her yell. "What is your problem?"

"You!" Lenna yells back punching her in the stomach.

I was too late to stop her.

_**Lenna's POV:**_

I was doing pretty well that morning. When I saw a few of those girls in my classes I didn't do anything to them. I was able to control my anger and just let them have their peace. I can hurt them all I want in my head but I shouldn't for real. No matter how much I want to. It is now lunchtime and I am heading towards the cafeteria. I can't wait to sit next to my hubby and enjoy lunch.

I see the group of fan girls standing by the water fountain chatting. Seen them happy mad me snap all of a sudden. I don't know what I was thinking but before I knew it was walking towards them. Like it wasn't me controlling my body. It was my anger and rage moving me. I go straight for the leader and hit her triangle in the mouth (because square is too overused).

"What the hell?" she yells in my face. "What is your problem?"

"You!" I yell punching her stomach.

"Stop!" Mina's innocent voice yells at us.

I look at her in shock. Then I see Mordecai run right at me. Crap. I go for another punch when Mordecai hugs me tightly stopping me. I squirm in his arms trying to break free.

"Enough." He says firmly. I immediately stop moving. It was a quiet but powerful command.

I feel myself calming down slightly but still very angry. How dare they be happy while Mina is in pain? Those bitches!

_**Mina's POV:**_

I see Mordecai and Lenna talking to each other in whispers. She is still clearly mad. Jessica is sitting on the fountain trying to recuperate from what happened. I suck in a breath and bravely walk towards her. Once I was in front of her she looks up at me angrily.

"What do you want? You're probably thinking 'she deserved this', right?"

I shake my head no. "I-I… I came to see if you were ok."

Her eyes widen but then quickly frowns. "I got punched in the stomach and hit in the face so my answer is 'no'."

I look down at the ground. "I'm sorry. I should have known she was going to do something like this. By the time I figured it out it was too late. Because of that you got hurt. I'm really sorry."

"Why… Why are you apologizing to ME?" Jessica exclaims.

I look up at her completely caught off guard by what I saw. She is crying looking at me confused.

"I-I did h-horrible things to y-you! So wh-why…?"

I sit next to her. "Honestly? I don't know. It's just that I feel bad. Even though you hurt me it doesn't mean you should, too. Plus, you already dealt with pain." I then look her in the eye. "Your heart got broken. That's painful enough as it is."

That's when she breaks down into tears. She hugs me tightly and sobs into my shoulder. I gently hug her back smiling gently.

"It's ok." I say trying to soothe her. "Let it all out."

I keep rubbing and patting her back while she cries. I'd probably be like her if Ranulf ever left me. A complete mess and at a loss of what to do. I look at Mordecai and Lenna. Lenna looks surprised at the both of us. Mordecai gently leads her away from the scene. I look up to see the other girls looking down sadly and what looks like ashamed.

"I found them!" Edward exclaims.

I look up to see him, Leo, and Ranulf running closer to us. I think I even see Ellie and the principal. Oh, yeah. I just noticed that she wasn't with the group of girls when I got here. This made me more convinced that she didn't want to be one of them.

"Is everything alright?" Principal Titania asks sternly.

I nod. "Just a little drama."

She nods. "You girls, I need to talk to all of you about yesterday."

Jessica lets go of me and stands up rubbing her eyes of the tears. "Yes, ma'am." The girls look at her. She looks back at them. "What are you guys waiting for?" she asks more like herself. "Let's go already!"

They abruptly nod and follow her when they head for the office. The principal takes one more glance at me and I smile at her. She returns the smile and leaves. Edward surprises me when he hugs me tightly.

"Mina… I can't believe that happened to you." He whispers in my ear.

I look at Ranulf. He shrugs. I then look at Edward and gently hug him back.

"I'm fine, honestly. Don't get sad because of me."

He just hugs me tighter. He lets go of me and smiles brightly. I can't help but giggle. He pulls me up so I am standing. I laugh some more. I then see Leonardo standing there quietly. I go over to him and hug him. He becomes stiff. I look up at him.

"What? You act like you've never been hugged before." He slightly smiles and returns the hug. I think I saw a tiny blush on his cheeks but like before I'm not sure.

I then let go of him. I look at Ellie.

"How are you doing?" I ask.

She looks away. "Ok."

I smile. "I appreciate you trying to help me yesterday."

She looks back at me. "I didn't do anything. I wish I could of but I was weak. I need to get stronger and not let that happen again."

"Were you forced to be in that group?"

"…sort of. I'd rather not explain."

I simply nod. "That's ok. I'm not asking you to."

She smiles kindly making me surprised. "I appreciate that. You know, you are a pretty cool chic."

I blush. "Th-Thanks, I g-guess." I reply unsure.

I look at the clock to see we only have ten minutes left until lunch is over. I look at everyone.

"We better go eat something. It's almost time to go." I say to them.

"Definitely! I'm starving!" Edward whines. I laugh.

Leonardo and Edward walk ahead with Ellie close behind. I'm just about to walk ahead when I feel someone grab my arm. I turn around to see Ranulf. He looks very serious. I frown at him questionably.

"Is something up?" I ask him.

"Look, because of all that has happened…" He takes a deep breath. "If you want to leave me I would understand."

My eyes widen. "Ranulf!" I exclaim. He looks at me shocked. "Why would you say that? Of course I'm not going to leave you!" Then I calm down a bit. "I love you, Ranulf. I mean it." I peck him on the lips and hug him tightly. "Never doubt that, ok?"

He returns the hug just as tightly. "I'm sorry. You are the best girl in the world."

I look up at him and blush bright red. I then smile. "Your one and only."

Ranulf laughs. He then kisses me. Once we pull apart we hold hands and walk into the cafeteria together.

_**(That Evening):**_

I am sitting on the desk working on homework while Lenna is sitting on her bed quietly reading a book. Lenna has been pretty quiet since what has happened during lunch. I'm glad Mordecai was there or else things would have escalated pretty quickly heading towards the worst.

I don't think I could have asked for a better ending for all that has happened. The girls had a pretty good chat with the principal. I'm not sure what there punishment is but whatever it is it will allow them to get a chance to think things over.

I finish my homework and sigh. I look over at Lenna. "Did you do your homework earlier?" I ask her.

She looks at me and shakes her head. "I'll do it later."

I nod. "Hey." I pause trying to think of what to say. Lenna patiently waits for me to speak. "How are you feeling?"

"Better. Still tired, though." She says.

"What made you so angry?" I ask her curiously.

She sighs. "I don't know. Probably because they looked happy. I couldn't stand the fact that they were smiling while you were in pain. It just ticked me off. Plus, I kinda remembered the note they wrote to you."

My eyes grow wide. "You saw that?"

She laughs. "Yeah. It was right there on the desk. If you don't want someone to read something like that you shred it."

I giggle blushing and scratching the side of my head. "Shows you how stupid I am."

We both laugh making the atmosphere that much better. Kisa meows making us laugh even more. She seems to agree with me. Suddenly we hear knocking at the door making me jump. Lenna gets up and opens the door.

"We come bearing pizzas!" Edward exclaims.

I stand up to see Micaiah, Sothe, Tormod, Edward, Leonardo, Mordecai, and Ranulf at the door. Edward is holding 5 boxes of pizza.

"Thanks! I am starved!" Lenna states excitedly.

"Come in." I say to them. They all enter.

"And we come bearing drinks." Reina calls.

I look in the hall to suddenly see Reina, Janaff, Ulki, Ellie, Lethe, and Lyre standing there. Janaff and Ulkie are holding a few bottles of soda.

"Don't just stand there! Get in here already!" Lenna calls to them. That group enters.

I stare at them all in amazement. First this room was nice and quiet but now there are a bunch of people chatting while getting pizzas and drinks set up. I look around noticing no one brought in plates or cups.

"Hey, L-Lenna. Come to the kitchen with me, please." I call to her.

"Yeah, sure." She calls back. We both exit the crowded room and into the kitchen. "What's up?"

"We need to grab plates and cups." I explain. We look around. I found the cups while she found the plates. "Should we grab napkins?" I ask.

"Probably." She says. "And ranch."

"Ok."

I grab the napkins from the counter. From the corner of my eye I see Lenna look in the fridge and grab the ranch dressing. I don't like it but if they want it its fine by me. We then enter the room.

"Oh, thanks you guys!" Edward exclaims. "We didn't think about bringing that stuff!"

"Because you don't know how to think." Leo comments.

Edward glares at him. "You are just as guilty as me!"

"Maybe." He calmly remarks shrugging. "But at least I have a brain."

Edward just glares even more making everyone laugh. I find Kisa huddling under Lenna's pillow. I walk over without tripping over anybody and grab her. Then I walk to Lenna.

"I think Kisa needs you. She was hiding under your pillow." I tell her holding Kisa up to her.

She takes the poor little kitty gently. "Thanks." She responds gratefully. Lenna gently holds her and pets her soft black and white fur.

We all sat near each other on the floor and ate enjoying the food and drinks. There is so much pizza to go through but since there are so many people I think we will manage alright. It tastes really good and I love having my Pepsi to drink with it.

I'm amazed we can fit everyone in here. I wish Ike, Soren, Mist, and Rolf could be here but that would mean no room in here at all! This amount is basically the maximum we can fit in a dorm room! This is so nice, though. Everyone is happy and enjoying themselves.

I think of this of an ending of one chapter of my life. I went through a lot of drama but I am glad it is over. I finally got to express my feeling to Ranulf and I don't think those girls will hurt me or anyone else ever again. I truly do feel bad for Jessica but I have a feeling that she will be able to open her heart to a different guy.

I became open with people a lot more than I ever thought possible. I think about the time when I first moved here and didn't expect any friends. I was so quiet but now I seem to be talking more and expressing my thoughts easily. I never imagined any of this stuff happening to me at all. It comes to show that life is very unpredictable. I would like to keep things the way they are and not change a single thing.

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**Well, how was it? Tell me what you guys think, please! I am DYING to know! Was it worth the wait? I will try my best to finish the next chapter ASAP! Here is the list of people who I would like to thank for reviewing and making the number of reviews climb higher and higher. I almost have 50 reviews! Yeah! Thanks so much you guys! I would never have made it this far without you guys and I mean it! Even those people who don't review. You people take the time out of your lives to read my stories. I love you all so much! *is about to cry***

_**Kamai-Rui**_

_**HappyBunny855 (Again, in person. Thanks for the rough draft!)**_

_**SunLord89 (Sorry your OC is not appearing in this chapter. Definitely the next one, though!)**_

_**Daidairo**_

_**Andria-kinz (now chelise028)**_

_**myrascanrall (You really got me motivated to finish this chapter quickly. Thanks!)**_

_**MattyBoy91 (Same as above. ^_^)**_

_**PJ (You are an awesome friend to have! I will see you at school!)**_

**Thanks again everyone. If you want to review please feel free to. I love hearing from people about my hard work! :D**


	10. Chapter 10

**Hi everyone! It has been a while! I finally got this chapter up (and before Christmas, too)! I can't wait for Christmas Eve. I'm heading up to New Jersey to hang out with the family for a few days. Then the 27th is my friend's (HappyBunny855) birthday! Happy early b-day, twin! You can think of this as an early birthday gift! ^_^ Anyway, let's start the story!**

_**Disclaimer:**** I do not own Fire Emblem or the characters. These things belong to their rightful owners. I only own my OCs. The OCs I do not own are Reina and Verid. They belong to chelise028 and SunLord89.**_

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Chapter 10:

_**Mina's POV:**_

I wake up tiredly to another day of school. It is really early (like normal) so I put on my jacket and walk out of the room without waking Lenna or Kisa up. It has been a week since the incident. After the party we cleaned up and I was able to sleep well for a change. Nothing big has happened. Well, except the other day I found a door that leads to the roof of the dorms and it is nice up there. It is plain but it is quiet and no one else goes up there. It gives me some time to think.

I open the door and step onto the top of the roof automatically feeling the breeze of the early morning. I zip up my jacket hugging myself tightly. I calmly walk to the edge and stare straight ahead. I can enjoy heights as long as I don't look down. On the streets I can see a few car lights zipping by and some building lights on. It is truly a site to behold.

In the distance I hear wings flapping. I look around to see if I can find anything flying. In the distance I see a small dot of white and pink with a touch of blonde flying towards me. The form comes closer and then lands on the roof startling me like crazy. I get a better look and see that it is a girl with long blond hair, a beautiful pink dress, and pure white wings. Like an angel. The only laguz I know that has pure white wings are the herons and even those only belong to royalty.

The girl looks at me and smiles. _"Hello. Could you please tell me where I am?"_ she says in the old laguz language.

It's amazing that I can still understand. My mom had a laguz friend and she taught her how to speak it. Then she told me I should learn it since it might be important. Hardly any laguz speak it but you never know who out there still speaks it. That is what she used to tell me all the time. She is right. It's thanks to her that I can understand this really pretty heron that is standing right in front of me.

"_Hi. You are at… one of the… school dorms." _I reply the best that I can. I am a bit rusty after a few years.

She stares at me surprised. _"You actually understand what I am saying?"_ she asks. I nod. She immediately brightens up. _"Finally! Someone I can finally talk to around here! I'm sorry. My name is Leanne. What is your name?"_

_"Mina."_ I say smiling.

_"Do you live at this dorm?" _she asks.

_"Yes. My room is actually on the floor right below us."_

Leanne walks closer to me. _"Oh, really? How nice. I'm hoping to go to this school. The thing is… my brother is very protective. I am trying to convince him to let me go here instead of being home schooled." _She sighs. _"I don't know how well that is going to do, though."_

_"Just talk to him." _I say encouragingly. _"I'm sure he will listen to you. He is your brother, after all. All you got to do is tell him how you feel."_

She sighs. _"I wish it was that easy."_

_"All you can do is try."_

Leanne smiles at me. _"Thank you." _She looks around looking a little worried._ "I should head home soon. I don't my brother to get mad at me agian." _She waves and opens her wings. _"Bye!"_

I gasp at how pretty her wings look. _"Bye."_ I say waving at her.

She then flaps her wings and flies into the sky. In a few seconds she becomes a tiny dot like before and then nothing. I stood there still staring at where her formed disappeared to. That was quite the experience.

I walk down the stairs and enter my dorm room. Lenna is up and fully changed. Kisa is quietly walking around but notices me and walks towards me. I pick her up and pet her smiling.

"Where did you disappear to?" Lenna asks.

I look at her and smiled. "I went for a walk."

She nods. "Did you eat yet?"

"No. Do you want to get breakfast?"

She smiles. "Yes, please. I am so hungry."

I laugh. "You always are hungry."

I place Kisa down and step out to the kitchen with Lenna. Lenna takes me by surprise and sits me down in a chair.

"Relax while I get us breakfast." She says.

I sigh. "You don't have to worry anymore. My bruises are nearly gone and I don't feel any pain." I explain. "See?" I say rolling up my sleeves to show her.

There are only three tiny bruises on my arms left. On my legs there are at least five. They were huge the day I got them but luckily they were disappearing. Lenna has been acting careful around me and making sure I wasn't in pain. It is nice of her to care but it was getting a bit much. It's not like I'm going to suddenly die or anything.

She looks at my arm briefly. "I don't care." She says turning back around again. "You still need to take it easy for a bit longer."

I sigh in defeat. "Ok. Can I please have a strawberry jelly sandwich?"

She smiles satisfied. "Sure thing, sweets."

She made scrambled eggs for herself and handed me my sandwich. Then we sat down and chatted. Nothing much, though. Just her and her crazy dreams. Well, I shouldn't judge. I do have weird visions myself. I had one last night. It was about Edward running up to me and telling me to hurry up. He grabbed my hand and ran. Then just like that it ended. I haven't had a serious dream in a while so I wonder if this one has big importance.

"Mina. You listening?" Lenna asks waving a hand in front of my face.

I look at her in surprise. "Yeah. I'm listening."

She nods. Then she looks at the clock. "Why don't we walk to school?"

I look at the clock, too. We still have half an hour but it is not bad to get there early.

"Ok."

We both get up and walk to the dorm. I quickly get changed and we grab our bags. Lenna and I say bye to Kisa then leave the room while she locks the door. We both walk down the stairs. When we were outside Lenna 'eeps'.

"Mordy!" Lenna exclaims running towards the very tall laguz at the light.

"Hi, Lenna." Mordecai sweetly says hugging her.

He then gives her a tender kiss and I look away (blushing) as to not be rude. They are truly a perfect match for each other. I wonder where Ranulf is...

"Hello, Mina." Mordecai says.

I look at him and smile. "Hi."

"Nice morning, isn't it?"

"Y-Yes, it is."

The light changes so we cross the road. At the school gates I stop. From a distance I swear I can see Derek walking over. I'm not sure, though. When I look for Lenna and Mordecai they are gone. They must have gone ahead. I turn around and walk towards Derek. He notices me and stops. Then I stop in front of him.

"H-Hi." I stutter. I am still nervous around him.

"What do you want?" he replies glaring down.

I stare down at my hands and twiddle my fingers. "I j-just want to see h-how you are doing."

He didn't say anything right away. I look at him to see him contemplating something.

"Fine." He says.

I smile. "H-Have your injuries gone away?"

He nods. "The only thing left is the knife wound across my chest."

"So you can fly, now?" He nods. "That's good news."

"Why aren't you with your friends?" Derek asks surprising me.

I shrug. "I was walking with my one friend, Lenna, but she walked ahead with her boyfriend."

"What about Ranulf?"

"I don't know where he is." I reply looking behind me. From what I can tell he is not with the crowds of kids walking onto school property right now.

"You going to class?" he asks.

I shrug again. "I think I'm going to walk around for a bit." I look at him hopefully. "Want to join me?"

Derek stares at me making me sweat nervously. It is quiet for just a little too long. Did I say something wrong? Does he think I'm weird for asking that? I can never tell what he is thinking.

He shrugs. "Ok." I smile brightly. He quickly points at me glaring. "No funny business, though. Got it?"

I nod putting my hands up in defense. "Y-You know I would n-never do something l-like that."

He nods seeming to agree with me. So Derek and I walk along the sidewalk to the school gate. It's been a while since I have seen him. I think the last time I saw him was when I fixed him up. I still don't know what happened to him but I'm not going to ask. If he wants to tell me he can.

"I heard you got beat up." Derek comments.

I look up at him. "Where did you hear that?"

"From some stupid students gossiping." I stay quiet and look at the ground. I hear him sigh. "You don't have to tell me about it. I don't really care if you do or not. It's your business."

I look at him. "It's ok. Some fan girls who didn't like me much. I think we are on neutral grounds now. They haven't bothered me and Jessica says hi to me once in a while."

He glares. "I will never understand you fragile girls."

I laugh. "Y-Yeah, I guess so."

I quickly take a peek at him to see him slightly smirking taking me by surprise. Sadly, it disappears quickly.

"I found some of your friends." He informs me. "And they don't look too happy."

I look at where he is looking to see Micaiah, Sothe, Edward, and Leonardo sitting by the fountain. Micaiah and Sothe are talking while Leonardo glares at Derek and Edward looks between the two of them clueless. Then he sees me and brightens up.

"Hi, sis!" he says waving excitedly.

I wave. "Hi."

Leonardo calmly stands up and walks briskly towards us. I look at Derek.

"Do you guys know each other?" I ask.

Derek shakes his head. "I think he is just protective of you."

Not understanding, I just keep looking at him. He just stares at me and sighs.

"Hi, Mina." Leonardo says tightly.

I look at him and smile. "Hi."

"I'm going. Bye." Derek says turning around and leaving.

Once he was out of earshot Leonardo pulls me towards the fountain.

"Why are you talking to him?" he asks harshly.

"I was just being nice to him, that's all."

"You know he is bad, right? He attacked you the first day of school, for Goddess's sake!"

I look at him calmly. "Yes, but I think he has changed for the better."

He sighs. "I swear, you see the good in everyone." He looks at me. "Just be careful, ok?"

I nod. "Ok."

"Hi, Mina." Edward says. Then he looks at Leonardo curiously. "Leo? Why are you holding her like that?"

Leonardo lets go. "Nothing, baka."

Edward glares. "Hey!"

Leonardo just shakes his head and sits down. This is not like his usual self. He is normally calm and collected. Today he seems on edge. Is it my fault he is like this? I stand in front of Leonardo twiddling my fingers. He looks up at me.

"I-I'm sorry." I say to him.

His frowns. "Why are you apologizing?"

"B-Because you seem m-mad. I-If it's my f-fault, I'm s-sorry." I say.

His eyes grow wide. He then sighs closing his eyes. When he looks at me again he has a kind smile on his face making me blush. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to get mad. I'm just not myself today. It's not your fault."

I put my hand over my chest sighing in relief. That's good to hear. I still want to know what is bothering him, though.

"Oh, Mina. Are you staying after school today?" Edward asks. I nod my head. He smiles. "Great."

I look at the clock. "I'm gonna go to class." I say. "Bye, everyone."

I walk towards class with a smile on my face. I feel like something is going to happen today. I wonder what it will be. Oh well. First, I need to make it through classes. Then we will see what happens.

_**(End of School Day)**_

I step out of my last class sighing. I finally made it through the day. I start to walk towards the fountain when someone running towards me catches my eye. I look to see that it is Edward.

"Mina!" he calls out waving.

I stand still and wave to him. He then stands in front of me panting a bit. Then he grabs my wrist and pulls me in the other direction making me gasp.

"E-Edward!" I exclaim surprised.

He just keeps pulling me so I follow. Once he gets excited you can't stop him. After a few minutes we make it to the doors that lead to the gym and we both stop to catch our breath. That's when I noticed that it was the same thing as my dream. So that was what the dream was about. Edward taking me to the club.

Once we were calm we enter the place together. Inside the gym students were already training with their weapons. I can see Ike and a girl named Mia sparring with swords. Soren was practicing his magic on some dummies. Then I see someone walking towards us and stand up straight.

"Hello, you two." Verid says to us. "Glad you guys could make it."

He is a very tall person. He has silver hair and bangs that hang down to cover his forehead. He is wearing a green t-shirt and long black pants with the bottoms tucked into his dark brown boots that go a bit higher than the ankles. He has a decent amount of muscles showing that he works out a lot. On his back is a large sword. He kind of scares me but I know he is a good person.

"Hi, Verid." Edward says.

"H-Hi." I say to him.

He looks at me. "Are your bruises healing up?"

I nod smiling. "They're getting better."

He nods. "Alright. Edward, you start practice."

"Yes, sir!" Edward says running off.

Verid looks at me. "Mina, I have a weapon I want you to try out." I nod hesitantly.

I follow him to the wall were all the weapons hang on the wall. I see him pick up a belt with a knife attached to it. He then hands it to me. "This will be helpful if an enemy gets close to you and you don't have a blowgun."

I take it into my hands carefully and observe it. I then attach the belt around my waist. It fits nicely and I can easily pull the knife out of its holster. I put it back in and look at Verid.

"Thank you. But… I'm not sure if I will be able to use it. I've never fought with a knife before." I explain to him truthfully.

He nods. "That's alright." He points to a corner where there is one lone dummy standing there. "Practice with it over there. If you still have trouble, let me know."

I nod. "Thank you, sir."

I then walk to the corner. While walking I pass Leonardo shooting at targets, Sothe throwing knives at a dummy, Boyd attacking some with an axe, Edward sparring with some student, a girl named Heather practicing her knife work, and a few other students I don't know who are practicing either sparring with each other or on a dummy.

I make it to the corner and stare at the dummy standing there silently staring at me. I then think back to when I started coming to this place after school.

_**Flashback (last week):**_

"Hey, Mina!" Edward suddenly says to me at lunch.

"What is it?" I ask.

"You should learn how to defend yourself!" he says.

"Oh no, you are not suggesting…" Leonardo says trailing off.

"Why don't you start coming after school with Leo and me? There is this club dedicated just for fighting. The teacher there is great, too! Even Sothe and sometimes Micaiah goes!"

I look at the two mentioned to see Sothe and Micaiah nodding. I ponder for a moment. I guess that would be better than depending on everyone else all the time. I could stop feeling so helpless and actually do something for once. I then look at Edward with determination in my eyes.

"Ok. I want to go."

Edward smiles brightly. "Awesome! Just meet me after school, alright?"

With that lunch had ended. Like I promised I would, I waited outside for Edward to come. I felt kind of nervous. What was this club going to be like? Am I going to be able to do anything? Is the teacher nice or really strict? I take deep breaths trying to calm down. Only a minute had passed when I saw Edward and Leonardo.

"Hello." Leonardo says to me. "Ready to go?" I nod my head trying not to show how scared I was inside. "Ok. Let's walk over before were late and Verid gets mad."

We all walked to the gym. When I walked in I was shocked by the number of people there and the amount of people I recognized. There were quite a few faces I have seen before. Then I see a man walking towards us.

"Hello. Who is this girl?" he says looking me up and down.

"This is Mina." Leonardo says introducing me.

His eyes grow wide. "You don't mean…"

"Yep! The popular girl everyone is talking about!" Edward says draping his arm across my shoulders. I brush bright red.

He looks at me again. "I heard a lot about you and what you've been through."

I look at the ground. I don't like all the attention I am getting. It feels weird and uncomfortable. It's like I have a bright spotlight shining on me or something. Finally he chuckles making me look up surprised.

"Welcome." He says stretching his hand out towards me.

I hesitantly take it and he shakes my hand firmly. "Th-Thank you." I say trying to smile.

_**Present Time:**_

I pull out the knife and figure out what is the best way to hold it. Then I run up to the dummy and slash at it a few times then jump back. I jump forward again taking a few more slashes at it. It felt weird but fun at the same time.

"Hey." Someone says from behind me.

I turn around surprised. I see it is the girl name Heather. She has long blonde hair and a purple cloak covering her outfit.

"You've never used a knife before, have you?" she asks knowingly.

"N-Not for fighting." I admit.

"Would you like some help?"

I smile gratefully. "Yes, please."

She then showed me how to hold a knife. I tried my best holding it. Once I got it right she showed me the best way to attack with it. She would demonstrate on the dummy then let me try to repeat what she did. After that I got really used to it and I was happy.

"Thanks a lot for your help." I say to Heather once we were done.

"No problem. You are a quick learner." She says winking.

I blush but smile at her kindness. "I'm going to go tell Verid."

She nods. "Alright, kido. See yah."

"Bye." I return.

She walks away and I walk towards Verid. He is holding his sword out practicing his stance. He took a few swings. It's amazing how well he can hold a large sword. I wait nearby making sure I kept my distance. He stops and looks at me while putting his sword away.

"How was the knife work?" he asks.

I smile brightly. "Really well. Someone helped me so I think I am used to it now."

He smiles. "That is good to hear."

My eyes go wide with realization. I reach down to unhook the belt to hand it back to him but a hand land on my shoulder making me stop. I look up at Verid to see him shaking his head.

"I had that knife specifically for you. You do very well with it so you should keep it."

I blush. "B-But, it's such a nice knife. I don't deserve something like this."

He shakes his head again. "You do. Trust me."

I look at him doubtfully but I smile letting go of the belt leaving it around my waist. "Thank you very much!"

He smiles. Then he becomes serious looking past me at everyone in the gym. "Everyone, can I get your attention, please?" he yells so everyone can here. I take a step back so he has room to talk. "On the wall over there," he says pointing to the wall on the other side of the room, "is the sign-up sheet for the fighting team for this year. If you are interested, sign-up now. Make sure you right your name and what class you are. If you want to be tactician, please also write that down. Mr. Nolan and I are in charge of the team. Only sign-up if you are serious, though. Got it?"

Quickly a bunch of the students rushed to the sheets along the wall. A few of the students went ahead and left. A fighting team, huh? This sounds kind of fun. I walk over slowly to the sheets. The crowd slowly died down as people wrote down their names and class. I see Leonardo and Edward signing up so I stand next to them.

"Hey, Mina." Edward says to me. "You thinking of signing up?" I nod. He smiles brightly. "Cool! That's my little sis!" he says hugging me. He then let's go of me. "Leo is writing his name down then he is letting me borrow his pencil so I can sign up. You can use it after me, ok?"

"Ok. Thank you."

Leonardo then Edward wrote their names up. Then he handed it to me. I look at the paper a little bit hesitant. Before I could change my mind I write my name and under class I write 'archer'. Then I think for a second. Next to it in parenthesis I write 'with a knife'. I smile proud of myself. I hand the pencil back to Leonardo and the three of us leave the gym together.

"What made you decide to sign-up?" Leonardo asks.

I shrug. "Honestly, I don't know. I guess it just sounded like a good idea. It might give me the chance to become braver and a bit stronger."

He smiles at me. "That's good, Mina. It's always good to set goals for yourself."

"Oh, my little sis…" Edward says tearing up a bit. He hugs me tightly. "I'm so proud of you!"

I blush and pat his back. "It's ok."

Leonardo sighs. "Baka."

Immediately Edward is back to normal and glares at him. "Hey!"

I giggle and they both stare at me for a minute. Edward and Leonardo start laughing making me giggle some more. After that we all chatted on the way out of the school grounds. Once we crossed the road they turned right on the sidewalk and I went into the dorm building. We quickly said bye to each other. I climb up the stairs to my room smiling and humming a tune.

"Mina?" someone calls down the stairs.

I look up to see Ranulf looking down from the side of the railing. I smile and climb up the stairs quickly to him. I hug him tightly and feel his arms wrap around me. I enjoy his warmth for a few seconds before stepping back.

"Hi!" I say smiling happily.

He smirks. "Hi."

"How are you?"

"Good. How are you?"

"Same." I look down at the ground. Ranulf hugs me again taking me by surprise. "R-Ranulf?" I stutter out.

"I haven't seen you all day." He says into my ear making goose bumps run up my arms.

"I know." I say blushing. "I'm sorry. Lots of things happened today."

He lets go of me and takes my hand. Then we climb up the stairs together. "Did you stay after for that club?" he asks.

I nod smiling. "It was fun. Verid had me practice with a knife."

Ranulf's eyes go wide. "A knife?"

I nod. "He says it will be helpful if someone attacks me from close range."

Ranulf nods understanding. "Was there a sign-up sheet for the fighting team?"

I look at him a little surprised. "Yeah. How do you know about it?"

"Because outside there was one for the Laguzes."

I smile. "Oh, cool! Did you sign-up?"

He smirks. "Yep. Of course I did." I giggle. "Did you sign-up?"

"Yeah. I thought it would be a neat thing to try. It might help me become braver."

Ranulf pulls on my hand so that my shoulder is touching his arm. "Good for you. I'm glad you're trying new things."

I smile even brighter resting my head on his arm. "I hope we both make it."

"Me, too."

Silently we walk to my room. I open the door and we both walk in. I let go of his hand so I can take my bag off. Neither Kisa nor Lenna were in the room making me confused. I wonder where they went off to. From behind me Ranulf hugs me surprising me. I blush bright red and turn my head up to see him.

"Want to go for a walk?" he asks looking down at me.

"Ok!" I say smiling.

He lets go of me and takes my hand. We walk out of my dorm room and walk down the stairs. Once outside the breeze immediately blows making my hair shake around a bit. Walking down the sidewalk with Ranulf makes me really happy. If we both make the fighting team, I want to be able to stand by his side. Protect him the best I can and stand on my own two feet. I won't be the helpless girl standing on the field begging for help.

_**Leanne's POV:**_

_"Please let me go to the public high school." _I beg with my brother again.

_"No! It's too dangerous." _Reyson tells me. _"What's wrong with having tutors?"_

_"Nothing! It's just… I want to go and meet people."_ I say to him.

_"People are mean, Leanne. You can't look for the good in everyone. There are some people who just don't have any kindness in them."_

_"I met someone today who was very nice."_ I retort thinking back to that girl with blue hair. She was so nice and she was able to understand me.

Reyson laughs. _"What? Did they nod and smile not understanding a word you said?"_

_"No. She understood me. She was able to speak the language so we talked."_

Reyson's eyes widen. _"Another Laguz was able to speak the language."_

I shake my head. _"A Beorc."_

His eyes grew even wider. I never knew someone could be so shocked but I can't blame him. It's very rare that you find a Beorc to understand the ancient Laguz language. Reyson sighs.

_"Fine." _My eyes widen and I smile brightly. _"Only under two conditions, though. One, you have to learn the language better. Two, you let me enroll with you."_ I looked at him shocked. He looks at me and smiles. _"You're going to need someone to translate for you."_ I smile widely giving him a huge hug.

_"Thank you, thank you, thank you! I accept your conditions!"_

He hugs me back. _"Anything for you, Leanne."_

_**Lenna's POV:**_

I look down to see Kisa walking near my feet and I smile. She is not tired yet. That's good. Holding Mordecai's hand tightly, we walk together around the public park. Little kids are running around and people are walking around. I see a family sitting in the grass having a picnic. That is so cute.

On a bench I see two familiar people. It looks like Mina and Ranulf. They are holding hands and Mina's head is resting on Ranulf's shoulder. They are so cute. I want to go over and say 'hi' but I stop myself. I'm sure they want there alone time right now. I like to have those moments once in a while with my hubbie.

"Lenna?" I look up at Mordecai. "Everything ok."

I nod and smile. "Yeah, babe. I'm perfectly fine." He looks at me confused and I just laugh. "Come on, let's keep walking."

I tug on his hand and we continue the walk. I pick up Kisa and hold her with my free arm. She quickly snuggles up and clothes her eyes. She is so adorable. I'm very happy to have such a cute baby black and white tiger.

_**Mina's POV:**_

"I can't believe I fell asleep." I say blushing still.

"It's fine. You are just tired, that's all." Ranulf says encouragingly squeezing my hand.

"I'm sorry. You must have been bored."

"No. Your sleeping face is very cute to watch."

I look up at him blushing even deeper. "R-R-Ranulf!"

He smirks laughing a little. "You know it's true."

I look at the ground too embarrassed to say anything. Heading back to the dorms, I bend my head back so I can see the sky. The sun is setting and it is very nice out. I wonder how long this weather will last with fall coming along. I rest my head on his arm.

"Still tired?" Ranulf asks. I nod. "Was that nap not long enough?" I didn't have to look at him to know that he was smirking. I shake my head and laugh. He chuckles. "My sleepy princess."

We enter the building and climb the stairs. On the second floor I stop making him stop. He looks at me confused. I hug him tightly.

"You go ahead to your room. I'll be fine going to mine by myself."

I look at him and he nods. "Ok."

"See you tomorrow?"

"Definitily."

He leans down and I go on my tippy toes to kiss him on the lips. Afterwards we part. I continue climbing the stairs as he walks and disappears down the hall. I smile the entire way up until I reached the door to my room. I enter the room to be greeted by a happy Lenna. She runs to me and hugs me tightly.

"Mina! I missed you!" she exclaims. She steps back pulling me into the room and shutting the door. "How was it with Ranulf?"

My eyes grow wide. "H-How…?"

"I was with Mordecai and Kisa outside when I saw you and Ranulf on a bench in the park."

I blush and nod. "Oh, ok." I smile. "It was nice. We talked and hung out for a while."

She smiles. "That's good to hear."

"How was it with Mordecai?"

"Perfect, as always!" Lenna exclaims with pride.

I giggle a little. "Good to hear."

We chatted and read for a while before deciding to go to bed. I lie down cozy in my bed and turn off my light. Tomorrow is another day and I can't wait for it. I wonder how things will go with the fighting team and all. I wonder if I will ever see Leanne again. She seems really nice and is very pretty. It would be nice if we could be friends.

* * *

**How was this chapter? Was it good? I'm sorry if it seems a bit rushed. I really wanted this done before Christmas and New Years. This was a nice, calm chapter. I personally like it since it is simple. Now you also know why it will soon be a bit more like the game itself. I've never seen anyone do Fire Emblem fanfic were them fighting is a game (in their world, not to us) XD. I hope I do this right. It's really cool how it works once I get to those chapters. You know what's amazing, though? I'm on my 10th chapter! It's so hard to believe I have now officialy have done 10 chapters! And I have 51 reviews (and more readers)! I'm truly happy. Thanks so much, you all. I hope to get more and more reviews in the future. Thank you all for taking the time out of your lives to read my story and for those people who take the time to review. Speaking of reviewers... here are the people I should thank for reviewing last chapter:**

_**HappyBunny855 (always in person, it seems)**_

_**SunLord89 (Did I do your OC ok? I hope he wasn't OOC!)**_

_**Meru-64**_

_**chelise028**_

_**myrascanrall**_

_**MattyBoy91**_

**Thanks you guys! Oh, and Monkeyboyva? Please don't leave a review unless it's about my story! Not about school life! Baka! Your still my friend, of course, but still! Anyway, again, thanks for reading! Please review and let me know what you think. Everyone... Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! If you don't celebrate Christmas, I still want you to have a Happy New Year! XD Alright, see you all next time! ^_^**


	11. Chapter 11

**Hi everyone! I'm back! The month is almost over and it has been crazy for me! O_O It's been snowing and sleeting a bit here in Virginia. I have had 3 days off of school and on Monday and Tuesday there is a teacher work day so that is a whole week off from school for me! :D It's like another winter break and I am loving it! I just hope that the homework doesn't end up piling up... -_-. Oh, and one night, the electricity went out! That was scary but we made it through ok. :) Anyway, I hope you all like this chapter.**

**_Disclaimer: I do not own Fire Emblem (duh). I don't own any of the characters except for the OCs. Well, all OCs except for Verid, Reina, and Matt. They belong to SunLord89, chelise028, and MattyBoy91. Thank you so much for letting use your OCs. It is fun working with them. ^_^_  
**

* * *

Chapter 11

_**Mina's POV:**_

"So… do you understand what I am trying to tell you?" Principle Titania asks.

I nod slightly. "Yes, I understand."

She sighs placing her elbows on the desk and resting her chin on her hands. "Think about it and let me know by tomorrow morning."

"Ok." I stand up.

I leave the office a bit dazed. I stop in front of the large clock looking up at it. What do I do now?

_**Leanne's POV:**_

Smiling happily, I walk around the school; _my_ school. It's so huge! I'm glad to be here! It's thanks to Mina that I got the courage to talk to my brother. Today is the tour of the school and I am with my brother, Reyson, and a Beorc student named Ike. We just viewed the front part so now we are going to the large Laguz building.

I can't wait for tomorrow. That's when I get to start being a student like everyone else in this large city. This is so exciting! I can hardly contain my excitement. I have to act respectfully, though. Reyson is watching me and I don't want to get _the glare_ from him. As long as I act well I know I will be able to go here tomorrow without any issues from him.

"Here are some of the classes." The Beorc says.

I look to my brother for translation. "_These are where some of the classes are." _Reyson tells me.

I nod understanding. I look at Ike and smile kindly. He then continues the tour. My mind wonders off as I follow the two around. Oh, tomorrow is going to be so exciting! I just need to work on the modern language a little. I can sort of understand what people say but I can't speak it well. It's so difficult. It's as difficult as others trying to learn my language. If Mina helps me, though, I think I will be ok.

_**Ranulf's POV:**_

The bell rings ending the last class of the day. I pack up my things and quickly leave the room. I promised Mina that I would wait outside for her. She wanted to go do homework somewhere outside. I smile thinking how nice it will be. The weather is a bit cool but still good enough for a nice date outside.

I walk to the bench she tends to be and sure enough there she is. Her long blue hair looks shiny as always and she is beautiful. Today she is wearing a knee length black skirt and a white shirt where the sleeves reached to the elbows. She is silently reading a book but I can't see what the title is.

My ears perk when a brilliant idea comes to mind. I smirk sneaking behind her. Then, quickly, I rap my arms around her from behind. Instantly, I hear the innocent and cute 'eep' escape her lips and she jumps a little.

"Hi, Mina." I whisper into her ear.

Mina's cheeks turn into a bright red color. She looks at me with wide, bright, midnight blue eyes. "R-R-Ranulf!" she stutters out so adorably.

I chuckle giving her a peck on the top of her head. "So, princess, how are you today?"

Her blush fades but it is still present. She smiles. "Good. How about you?"

"Great, since I get to see your face." I remark.

She giggles. "Y-You see me a-all the time."

"Exactly." I say smirking and giving her another peck.

Mina shuts her book and packs it into her bag. "You ready?" she asks not looking at me.

I let go of her and she stands up and looks at me. "Yeah."

I take her hand and we walk towards the large gates of the school. Once we were off of school grounds, it gradually got less crowded. I look at Mina and notice something off. She is smiling but it didn't seem like her genuine one. It looks like the one she puts on when something is wrong. It disappoints me that she doesn't tell me what's wrong. She always holds her problems back and keeps it to herself.

I squeeze Mina's hand and she looks up at me. "Are you ok?" I ask her. She shakes her head smiling. There it is again. That brave smile. She is definitely holding something back. "Come on, please tell me. I can tell when something is wrong." I sigh. "It's like you don't trust me..."

Her eyes grow wide and I see the panic on her face. "I-I do trust you!"

"Then tell me what's wrong. If you don't tell me I won't know and I won't be able to help you."

Mina looks at the ground. She presses her lips together thinking of something. If I only had the ability to read minds. I never know what goes on in her head. I can read her expressions but her thoughts are a mystery to me. I want to know what she is thinking.

"Um…" she starts. I perk my ears to listen. "I might not be able to join the fighting team."

I look at her surprised. "Why?"

"Because of my grades."

"What about your grades? Are you not doing well?"

"Geometry and World History." She says looking at me. "I don't like those classes and I'm doing badly in them."

I nod now understanding the situation. I smile at her. "I could help you in Geometry if you want. Sadly, I'm not doing so well in History, either."

Her sparkling eyes and broad smile made my heart skip a beat. "Would you? Thank you!"

Damn it. If only I was good in History, too. I want to see her smile like that all the time! She leans against me. I remove my hand from hers and wrap it around her so I could hold her close to my side. Ahead of us I see an open field. A perfect place to study and have some peace and quiet.

_**Lenna's POV:**_

I lie on my bed exhausted. School was such a drag. Homework just seems to keep on piling up. You think you are on top of everything but then the teachers decide to be evil and pile more on top along with projects! Agh! Why, cruel world, why?

A little paw could be felt on my cheek. I look down to see Kisa looking at me worried. I smile holding the little kitten close to me. "I'm fine, silly. I'm just hating school like normal. Nothing to worry about."

She meows making me giggle. I stroke her head gently and let myself relax. The soft bed is making me very sleepy. I'll just take a nap really quickly. Promise. My close my eyes and sigh deeply in content. I'm sure Mina will wake me up once it's dinner time.

_**Mina's POV:**_

"Oh!" I exclaim understandingly. "So I take this number and add it to there?" I ask showing him on the notebook I was writing the questions and answers on.

Ranulf smiles. "That's correct."

I smile brightly. "I get it! I'm glad you're here to help me. The way the teacher explained it was very confusing. You make this seem so easy!"

"I'm glad to hear that. Now go ahead and finish the last problem on your own."

I nod and work on it the best I can. It doesn't seem too hard. Once I got Ranulf to explain I was able to understand how to solve the problems. Once I finished I showed him. He looks through it and I wait nervously. He sighs making me gasp in worry. What? Did I do something wrong? Don't tell me I totally screwed up?

Ranulf looks up at me seriously. "You did it completely…" I hold my breath waiting to hear what he had to say. He smirks. "Right."

I let out my breath in relief. I smile at him giggling a little. "You really scared me there."

"That was the idea."

"Meanie."

Ranulf kisses me on the lips taking me by surprise. He then pulls back. "Sorry. I just love teasing you too much."

I put my stuff down and lie down taking a deep breath. I open my eyes to see Ranulf leaning over me blocking the sunlight from my face. He leans down and kisses me full on the lips. I close my eyes enjoying the kiss. I can feel his tongue on my lips. I open my mouth to gasp but his tongue slides in. I blush like crazy as his tongue explores every corner of my mouth. His hands were cupping the sides of my face. Slowly, I close my eyes again. He tastes sweet. I soon needed some air.

Ranulf pulls his head up and looks down at me. He chuckles as he wipes away a little bit of drool that was on the side of my lips. My face must be really red. That just makes me feel even more embarrassed. He lies down next to me and I rest my head on his chest. His arm rests on top of me hugging me close. I close my eyes smiling. The wind blows making me shiver.

"You cold?" Ranulf asks.

"A little." I say.

He sits up pulling me up with him. He hugs me tightly rubbing my arm. "We better go back to the dorms then."

"Ok." I say nodding.

Ranulf and I stand up and gather our things. He takes my hand and we walk back to the dorms together. As we entered the building and climbed up the stairs I warmed up. Fall is starting to kick in. It's been warm for a while that it's sort of sad that fall is here. Short sleeves will slowly disappear from people's wardrobes and change to long sleeves, sweatshirts, and other warm clothing. We reached the second floor.

I let go of his hand. "I can go to my room on my own." I tell him.

He nods. "See yah, Mina." He says smiling.

"Bye, Ranulf."

He quickly gives me a peck on the lips before leaving to his dorm room. I walk up the rest of the stairs to my room. When I enter the room I notice Lenna sleeping on the bed. I smile. Kisa was curled next to her. Those two are so cute together. I wonder if I should wake her up now or later. I place my bag on the ground and walk to the bed. Knowing her, she probably didn't do her homework yet.

"Lenna." I say. She didn't move. I shake her lightly saying, "Lenna."

She stirs and murmurs, "Ostrich." I giggle and she opens her eyes. She rubs them looking at me. "Hi." She sits up. "What are you giggling about?"

I calm myself down before answering. "Did you dream about ostriches?"

She gives me a look that read _'what the heck'._ "Why would you ask such a weird question like that?"

"You said 'ostrich' before waking up." I explain smiling.

Her eyes grow wide. "What the hell was I dreaming about?"

"That's what I would like to know." I start giggling again. **(a/n: This actually happened. My friend came up to me and told me how she woke up saying 'ostrich' and something else I don't remember. XD Funny, funny day!)**

Lenna shakes her head. Kisa stands up on her four paws and meows. "You know what I was dreaming about?" she asks her black-and-white tiger. The kitten just looks up at her with her head cocked to the side slightly. This makes me giggle some more and Lenna laugh. "I suppose not." Lenna looks at me. "What's for dinner?"

I shrug. "What do you want?"

She pauses. "Noodles, rice, and dumplings."

My eyes grow wide. "We don't have dumplings. I don't know about rice, either."

"Let's go out, then." She suggests.

I pause. "I don't have much money. I'm trying to save it for as long as possible."

A huge smile spreads across Lenna's face. "It's ok. I'll pay."

My eyes grow wide again. "You got money?"

"Yep! I got a job!"

"R-Really? Where?"

"At a café." She says still smiling brightly. "We have really cute uniforms!"

"I-If you don't mind, th-then I guess that's fine by me." I say still a little surprised. I never knew she got a job.

"Then out we go!"

Lenna goes into the bathroom to fix herself up. I feel something soft on my ankle so I look down. Kisa was rubbing her head against it and I smile. I gently lift her up and cuddle her close to me.

"What about Kisa?" I ask.

Lenna's head pops out from the bathroom. She looks at the both of us for a few seconds before responding, "She can come." Then she disappears into the bathroom again.

I look down at Kisa and smile. "Looks like you get to come with us."

Kisa meows sounding happy and I giggle. I sit on my bed and pet her. It might take Lenna a little while in order to get ready. She probably has to fix her hair and make-up. I've never been a big fan of make-up. I never thought it was a necessary thing. That's why I never put any on. Lenna, on the other hand, loves that stuff.

"Hey, Mina, want me to do your make-up?" Lenna asks suddenly.

I shiver. "N-No thanks." I reply quickly.

Lenna laughs. "You know I will make you wear some one of these days, right?"

I shiver again. I don't respond making Lenna laugh some more. I pet Kisa trying to imagine myself with make-up on. I then quickly shake my head. I can't imagine it at all. It would be strange, I think. After a little bit Lenna steps out looking really pretty.

"Alright. I feel like Chinese food. I know a good place to go, too."

I nod. "Ok. That's fine by me."

Lenna takes Kisa from me and holds her while we step out of the dorm room. I made sure to lock the door. I look at Lenna to just notice the very pretty looking purse that she had on her arm. I guess we're good, then. We then went outside and walked through town.

The Chinese place looked good. It was tiny and nicely decorated. We quickly got a seat. Kisa was still in Lenna's arm when we looked at the menu. Most of the stuff I didn't know what it was but Lenna seemed familiar with the menu. She only looked at it for a few seconds before putting it down.

"I think I know what you will like." Lenna says to me.

I look at her from above the menu. "You do?"

She nods smiling. "Noodles with shrimp in it, rice, and, of course, dumplings!" she says exclaiming the last word.

I giggle. "That does sound good."

A waiter suddenly came to our table taking me a little bit by surprise. "Hello, ladies. Thank you for coming into our restaurant this evening. My name is Matt and I will be your waiter. Are you guys ready to order?" I look at the waiter to see that he has short red hair. He also looked muscular. He also has a very nice smile.

"I'll have a Sprite, please. I would also like noodles with shrimp in it. Her and I would like to share the rice and dumplings." Lenna says.

He writes the order on a piece of paper. Then he looks at me. "What would you like?"

I blush a little. "U-Uh… Coke, please."

"We don't have Coke but we do have Pepsi. Would you like that instead?"

"Th-That's fine."

"What would you like to eat?"

"I-I'll have what sh-she is having." I say quickly.

He writes my order down. "I'll be back in a few minutes with your drinks." He informs us taking our menus.

"Thank you." Lenna says. Matt nods before leaving. "So…" she says and I look at her. "He looks pretty cute, huh?" I blush. I then nod. She giggles. "Don't go cheating on Ranulf now."

My eyes grow wide. "L-Lenna! Y-You know that I-"

"I know, I know." Lenna says cutting me off. "I was just teasing."

I sigh. I don't like it when she does that to me. I can tell that she like it too much, though. I sigh again. Sadly, for me, that's not going to change.

"Hey, you know when I got my cast removed yesterday?"

I nod looking at her. "I remember how happy you were." I giggle. "You were jumping around and Mordecai got worried."

She laughs. "Yeah. Well, on my way back, I saw three new people entering our school."

"Really? What did they look like?"

"Two of them looked like siblings. A girl and a guy with short aqua hair. Then the third one was a girl with long green hair. She had a pretty dress but it was orange." Lenna sticks her tongue out. "Not the most flattering color."

My eyes then grow wide. "I saw another new kid, too! It was a different day, though."

Lenna's eyes grow wide, too. "What did the person look like? Boy or girl?"

"Girl. She had short brown hair, a pretty dress, and was holding a healing staff."

"You mean like the one Mr. Rhys has?"

I nod. "Lots of new people are entering the school, huh?"

"Yeah." Lenna then shrugs. "Oh well. Anyway, do you know what's going on with the fighting team thing?"

I nod. "I believe Verid said we are meeting up next week."

She sighs in relief. "Good. I need to raise my grades up."

I look at her surprised. "You, too?"

She looks at me confused. "Too?" Her eyes grow wide with realization. "YOU have to raise YOUR grades?" she exclaims.

I blush nodding. "History and Geometry."

She breathes in sharply. "That sucks." I nod. "Well, good luck to the both of us." She says smiling brightly.

I smile back. "Yeah. I'm sure we will be fine." The waiter then came back with our drinks. "Th-Thank you." I say quietly.

"Your food will be ready soon." Matt says smiling at us.

"Thank you." Lenna says. He then leaves.

For a few minutes we chatted and were drinking our drinks. It didn't take too long for our food to come. The noodles and shrimps looked really good. I took a bite and smiled happily. Lenna also seemed to be enjoying her food. As we ate I saw Kisa looking at it with wanting eyes.

"Kisa looks hungry." I comment.

Lenna looks down at her petting her. "You hungry?" Kisa meows. Lenna takes a tiny piece off of the shrimps and gives it to the kitty. "Here you go." She eats it. She meows again happily. "I guess you are hungry."

We were soon finished with our dish and we both finished off the rice. The only thing left was the dumplings. Kisa helped a tiny bit with it. After those were gone I felt stuffed and satisfied. That was a very good meal. I'm so glad we got to go out and eat. Our waiter stopped by our table again.

"Would you guys like desert?" Matt asks.

Lenna and I look at each other. Lenna then looks at the waiter saying, "No thanks. I think we are done."

"Alright, I will bring your bill then."

He leaves. "I like this restaurant." I say more to myself than Lenna while looking around the place.

"I know. This is one of my most favorite places to go to." Lenna replies.

I smile at Lenna. "Thank you for bringing me here."

"No problem!" she says cheerfully smiling. Then her eyes grow as if remembering something. "Oh, yeah! We need to tip the guy!"

"Oh, yeah..." I say also just realizing this. "I think he was a good waiter. He deserves a good tip."

She nods. "I agree." Just then the bill came. Lenna paid it and left the tip on the table. "Let's go."

"Ok."

We stand up and leave the restaurant. The sun was nearly gone and the street lights were already turning on. The stars were barely visible. Where I lived, the sky was literally covered with them. Here, only the really bright ones are visible. While we walked back I got nervous about the darkening alleys. They are scary. Anyone could be in there. It reminds me of when I found Derek beat up. That was a really scary time, too.

"Mina? What's wrong?" Lenna's voice broke through my thoughts.

"Huh?" I ask looking at her.

"Your face is looking pale. Is something wrong?"

I shake my head quickly and smile. "I'm fine. Just tired."

Lenna started talking about some random stuff. I try to pay attention but it becomes more and more difficult as it got darker. I could feel myself trembling. I try to calm myself down enough so Lenna wouldn't notice. I try to focus on the street lights. I need to ignore the fact that it's getting really dark. Also the fact that the allies look eerie.

Soon enough we were at the dorms and I was able to breathe. Inside the building it was warm and lit. I unlock the door to our room and we both enter. Kisa immediately goes for Lenna's bed and curls up under the blankets. Lenna goes in the bathroom to change into her night clothes while I change into mine. I go under the covers feeling exhausted.

When Lenna came out of the bathroom she grabs her laptop and starts playing music on it while typing things. I close my eyes dozing off. The music is very soothing. I might get some decent sleep tonight…

_**(Next Day)**_

I groggily walk towards school. My bag didn't have many things in it but it still feels like heavy weights to me. I couldn't get much sleep. I thought the music would distract me but my bad dreams keep coming up. I keep seeing this scary person in an alley at night holding a gun. I shiver at the thought of the dream. I haven't been able to talk to anyone about it. I have had it for the past three nights but I can't do anything about it. So now I'm stuck losing sleep. Need to stay strong, though. My friends shouldn't have to worry about me.

"Mina!" a familiar voice calls out to me. I look up to see a very pretty girl hug me. That long blonde hair looks familiar. "Good to… saw you." She says hesitantly. The girl backs up so I could see her face better. "How… ares you?"

"Good." I say putting up a smile. "How are you, Leanne?"

"Happy!" Leanne exclaims seeming to be in a very good mood.

"_Is this the girl you were talking about?" _a guy's voice asks from behind her in the old language.

I look at him curiously. _"Who's that?"_ I ask in Leanne's language. I don't want her to struggle too much with the modern language.

She looks back and smiles. _"This is my brother, Reyson."_ She looks at me. _"It's thanks to you that I got to talk to him about coming here!"_

I stare at her for a few minutes. Then I made the connection. _"Wait… You're going to be a student here…?"_

"_Yes! Isn't this exciting?"_

I smile widely. _"Yeah! I'm so happy!"_ I exclaim hugging her.

I could hear someone coughing and I look to see it is Reyson glaring at me. I let go of Leanne and face him. He is a very handsome man with long hair like Leanne's but more straight. He also has fancy clothes and very beautiful white wings. If only he would smile…

"Hello." He says looking down at me.

I gulp. "H-Hello." I say bowing politely.

When I stand up straight I notice that he is a step closer to me. "If anything happens to Leanne I will make sure you will be miserable. You understand me?" My eyes grow wide. He is a very scary person. Very threatening, too.

"I-I u-understand." I reply.

_"Reyson! What are you saying to my friend?"_ Leanne asks not looking pleased.

Reyson smiles looking at her taking me by surprise. _"Nothing, Leanne. I was just telling Mina something very important."_ He looks at me. _"Right?"_

I quickly nod looking at Leanne with a smile. Leanne smiles oblivious to the fact that Reyson's smile was so fake and the fact that I was scared. Why? I wake up tired and I get to be introduced to this mean, scary heron? This is not turning out to be a good day…

_"I'm going to find my class. Mina, I will see you later. Ok?"_

_ "Ok. Bye."_ I say smiling and waving.

Leanne waves to me before leaving with Reyson close behind. He gives me one more glare before completely disappearing to the Laguz side of the school. I sigh deeply. That was really weird. I smile to myself. I'm happy Leanne got what she wanted. I'm sure that took her courage and strength to talk to him. Reyson does seem to be a very strict person.

"What was that about?" an unexpected voice asks from right behind me.

I spin around 'eep'ing. "D-Derek? You scared me!" I exclaim putting my hand over my heart. It was beating very quickly.

He raises an eyebrow. "Did you just say 'eep'?"

I blush. "Y-Yeah. I-I say that wh-when I'm surprised."

"I can see that." I blush even deeper. "Want to answer my question?"

I look at him confused before understanding what he was saying. "Oh! That was Leanne and Reyson. They are new here. I don't think Reyson likes me, though." I say the last sentence scratching the back of my head smiling nervously.

He looks at the direction of which the two siblings left. "Probably overprotective."

I nod agreeing with him. I sigh. "I guess I can't do anything about that."

He looks at me again. He shrugs. "I guess."

I look up at Derek curiously. "What are you doing here so early? I thought you came to school later?"

He looks away. "I was… thinking of… joining the fighting team." He looked like he didn't want to talk about it.

I smile not caring. "Really? That's so cool! If we make it that would be great to fight together!"

He looks at me again. "You're joining?" I nod. Derek then crosses his arms. "Better be careful. This is not like a fun club to join or anything. It can get serious and dangerous."

"Don't worry. I know that. That' s why I'm joining. I want to become stronger so that I don't have to rely on everybody all the time." I look at the ground embarrassed. "I want to be the girl people can look to with confidence and not worry."

It was silent. I shuffle my feet a bit feeling my cheeks getting really warm. Derek probably thinks I'm silly or something. I'm not really the toughest person around. I really do want to try, though. For my friends, for Ranulf, and for myself. I feel a big hand on my head so I look up at Derek. His dark eyes looked a bit softer than his usual tough self.

"Good luck with that. I mean it."

As quickly as he appeared he left going towards the Laguz building like Leanne had earlier. I stare after him as he left. For someone who is tough, scary, and sometimes mean… he can be nice when he wants to. I never expected that from him. For a short phrase, it was very comforting. I smile to myself blushing some more. Before anyone else can come surprise me I leave to go to my first class of the day. Today, sadly, it's not archery.

Then I remember that I have to go see Mrs. Titania. Quickly I rush to the main office. I got to get their quick so I don't end up late for Geometry class. Especially since Ranulf took time to help me out.

In the office Mrs. Titania was writing on a few pieces of paper. Probably files or something important for the school. It takes her a bit before she realized that I was in the room and she looks up.

"Hello, Mina. Have you made your decision?"

"Yes, I have." I say taking in a deep breath. "I would like to switch out of guitar and instead go to that study class."

"You sure about this?" she asks looking at me.

I nod and say, "Yes, I am."

I had said it quickly so I wouldn't end up changing my mind. I really like Guitar class but I need the free time in the day to study. After school is not really an option for me, either. I will miss Mrs. Roxanne but I have to do this. Mrs. Titania smiles at me.

"Good choice. This is going to start immediately. I'm going to inform your teacher. You may go ahead to your new class today. I will make sure your new teacher is aware of this, too."

I smile at her. "Thank you." I bow.

"Here is the room number." She says handing me a sticky note.

I study it before folding it and sticking it in my pocket. "Thank you , again, Mrs. Titania."

"Of course, Mina. Make sure you make it to class now, ok?"

"Ok." I say feeling really good.

I rush out of the office and to the Beorc building. I enter Geometry and sit down with two minutes of spare time. On the board it says that we have a test today. I smile to myself happily. I think, for once, I'm going to do well on this test. I did pretty good on the homework and Ranulf helped me out a lot.

"Hey, Mina." Tormod greets standing by my desk.

I look up at him and smile. "M-Morning."

"You ready for the test?" he asks.

I kept my smile up. "I think so."

His smile disappears and is replaced with a surprised face. "That's new. I thought you hated Geometry?"

I nod. "Yeah, but I got help yesterday. I finally understand the stuff we are learning."

His eyes grow wide. "Well, damn. If you think you can do this then what's stopping me from feeling good about this, too?" Tormod exclaims confidently.

"How about the fact that you never study?" Sothe comments from next to him. "Oh, and you suck."

Tormod's attitude quickly changed to despair making me worried. "Oh, yeah. Thanks for ruining it for me, Sothe."

He shrugs not seeming to care. I try to reassure Tormod by saying, "I think you will do fine. It's sort of easy."

He looks at me smirking. "Thanks. At least _SOMEBODY_ cares!" he exclaims glaring at Sothe very darkly.

Sothe just stands there not even looking at Tormod. I look between the two unsure what to do. That is, until the bell rings. Luckily, it is now time to start class. Tormod and Sothe sit in their seats and I get ready. The test is handed out and I look at it. It doesn't look too bad. Let's see what happens.

_**(In Archery)**_

_Thwack. _"Really?" Leonardo asks looking at me.

"Yeah! For once, I felt really good about it!" I say happily.

Leonardo focuses on his target again. _Thwack._ "That's good to hear." He then smiles at me. "Good job."

I smile. "Thanks."

I look at my target and shoot another arrow at it. Suddenly I hear a splashing sound and turn around. My eyes grow wide as I see the scene in front of me. Mr. Shinon was standing there covered in water. On the ground I notice broken balloon pieces. How did that happen? I hear snickering and look behind the now soaked teacher. I see the familiar silver hair and gasp.

Mr. Shinon looks behind him totally pissed. "YOU!" he yells pointing at the white haired teacher.

Verid stands up from his hiding spot and laughs hysterically. "That was revenge! HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!"

"You are so DEAD!" Mr. Shinon yells running towards him.

Verid quickly sprints off in the opposite direction with the archery teacher at tow. The students were laughing once the two of them were out of site. I don't know what to think of it. I then start to giggle. I can't believe Verid did that! To Mr. Shinon of all people! That is one fearless teacher.

A few minutes passed before Mr. Shinon came back panting but still pissed. Ah, oh. He is not going to be in a good mood. His hair looked almost air dried and his clothes only looked a bit damp. Besides that he looks ok. I don't think Mr. Shinon really cares about that right now, though. I think he is just upset that a prank like that happened to him. I can tell that Verid is going to get it later. What do they call it? Oh yeah. Karma. What goes around comes around.

"What are you gawking at?" Mr. Shinon yells at us. "Back to practice! NOW!"

The students immediately were shut up and went to practice. I take a quick peek at Leonardo to see him shooting arrows again. He looked calm but he also looked a bit shaken up. Mr. Shinon sure is scary when he is pissed. I quickly turn around and continue to practice. The last thing I need is to be yelled at by an angry teacher. He looks like he could kill right now.

Class ends. Everyone leaves except for Leonardo and me. I look at Mr. Shinon to see him grumbling to himself. I take a deep breath before deciding to walk over to him.

"Mr. Shinon?"

He glares up at me. Once he sees my face he calms down a bit. He then looks at me looking more like his usual self. "What is it?"

"Are you ok? Is there anything I can do to help?" I ask worriedly.

He shakes his head. "I'm fine. My clothes are almost dry. I will live." He then looks pissed off again. "I can tell you who won't be, though…" I look at him with wide eyes worriedly. He looks at me and laughs. "Seriously. I'm fine. Just go, already."

I smile blushing slightly. I never heard Mr. Shinon laugh before. Never the less smile. "Ok, Mr. Shinon. Thank you."

I run up to Leonardo who had been patiently waiting for me. I wave at Mr. Shinon quickly before walking with Leo to the cafeteria.

"I can't believe you actually went to talk to him." Leo says. I look at him. "I thought you were a goner."

My eyes grow wide. "Really?"

He laughs. "It's ok. I'm just messing with you." He then looks at me looking proud. "You were brave, though. Mr. Shinon is difficult when he is angry."

I nod. "I was scared." I smile. "At least he is ok." I then look worried again realizing something. "I don't think Verid will be, though. Mr. Shinon looks like he could kill anyone without a thought." I shiver hugging myself.

Leonardo nods. "Yeah. Verid is tough, though. How else do you think he has survived this long?"

I think about it. "Does Verid do stuff like that all the time?"

"Yeah." Leo then chuckles. "It's basically a routine for him."

I smile. "He is a strange person, isn't he?"

"Indeed."

"Leo! Mina!" Edward yells from ahead of us. He ran until he was right in front of us. "I'm glad I found you guys! Let's hurry so we can sit and get food!"

Leonardo shakes his head sighing. "Ok, ok. You didn't have to wait for us, baka."

Edward huffs crossing his arms. "But I have to wait for my best friend and sis! It would be bad if I didn't!" He then walks next to me resting his arm across my shoulders. "Right?"

I blush. "I-I-I guess."

"Baka." Leonardo says. "You're making her embarrassed."

Edward hugs me tighter. "She's my sis! Mine!"

Leonardo sighs making me giggle. "Whatever, baka."

"Are you ever going to ever stop calling me baka?"

"Nope. That would mean the end of the world." He replies smirking.

"Hey!" Edward says.

I giggle. Edward gives me a quick squeeze before letting go of me when we enter the cafeteria. It took me less than a second for me to find Micaiah and Sothe. They were holding hands talking. They are always there first sitting at the same table. I like our table, though. I wouldn't want to move. I think our table is the best. The three of us sit down.

"Hi, Mina." Micaiah says smiling at me.

"Hi." I return smiling. I look at Sothe. "How was the test for you?"

Sothe shrugs. He didn't say anything else so that was probably the only response I was going to get about that subject. I simply nod grabbing an apple from my bag. Then I grab a can of Coke from in there. I bite into my apple as the group fell into their usual chatter. I peacefully eat trying to follow the conversations.

I suddenly have the urge to draw so I quickly pull out my notebook. I pause looking out the window as if looking for the answer to come to me. I look in front of me holding my breath. I know what I'm going to draw. I quickly start sketching. I pretty much was done with the main figures when lunch ended. I looked around looking so out of it.

"You were really focused on that drawing, weren't you?" Leonardo asks. I look at him. I blush and nod. He smiles. "Wow. Once you draw there is no way to pull you away from it." I nod again confirming his statement.

"What were you drawing?" Edward asks.

"I-I can't tell you." I say quickly. "I'll show you when it's done."

He smiles. "Ok. You better remember, though."

I smile back. "I won't. Promise."

I pack up my things and throw away what is left of the red fruit. I open my Coke and stand up drinking it. I wave bye to my friends before stepping out. I then find the bench I like and sit down. I got a few minutes until I have to go to my new class. I wonder what it's going to be like. Mrs. Titania said that it was basically quiet study time. Hopefully I can find a kid that will help me with History. I then panic a little. I'm scared to talk to new people. This is going to be harder than I thought.

"Mina." I look up to see Ike waving at me. Of course, Soren was standing next to him.

"Hi, Ike." I say waving. Ike walks over to me and Soren follows him. "Hi, Soren."

"Hi." He says nonchalantly.

"How have you been doing?" Ike asks.

I smile. "Good. I'm just trying to finish my drink before class starts." I say showing him my can of soda. "How about you?"

He sighs. "Good. I just have to prepare before the next meeting."

I look at him feeling bad for him. "I'm assuming that it is not fun?"

Ike smiles. "It's alright. I don't mind it. It's just the fact I have to deal with all of those papers."

"It's what you signed up for." Soren comments.

"Yes, it is. I wasn't quite expecting all of it, though." He smiles at Soren. "You do help out a lot, though. Without you I would be in huge trouble."

Soren looks away. "I'm just doing what I'm supposed to do."

Ike pats his back. "And you are doing a hell of a job."

I look between the two smiling. They are in a good mood today (I think). That's nice. I feel a bit calmed down from the idea that I have to go to my new class. I drink the last of the soda and toss it out. I quickly pull out the piece of paper the principal gave me and show it to Ike.

"Do you know where this class is?" I ask.

"Shouldn't you know where your classes are by now?" Soren asks a bit coldly while Ike studied the paper.

"I-I had to switch c-classes. It's to h-help me study b-better." I stutter a bit quickly.

"Soren?" Ike asks. "Isn't this your class?"

Soren takes the sheet and looks at it. His eyes grow wide for a split second before returning to normal. "Yes, it is." Soren hands the sheet back to me.

"You should walk Mina to class, then." Ike suggests. He looks at the clock. Soren opens his mouth to say something when Ike cuts him off with, "I better go to class. Bye!"

Just like that Ike was gone leaving me and Soren alone. Soren stares at me. I start to feel nervous and uncomfortable. I look at the clock then back at him.

"L-Look," I say, "y-you don't have t-to if you don't w-want to." I take a deep breath. "I can find my way to class."

Soren sighs. "That would be stupid. We are heading to the same destination so we might as well go together. That makes the most sense."

My eyes grow wide. Then I smile. "Ok. Thanks."

Soren walks ahead and I follow him quickly. The walk was silent. Soren isn't really much of a talker and I didn't feel like saying anything. I don't think he would like that. Plus I wouldn't know what to say. Luckily I didn't have to worry about that for too long because we made it to the right room.

The teacher was sitting at her desk typing at a simple speed. She has short white hair and looks elderly. She looks like a teacher that should be retiring soon. I walk to her desk. She looks up and down at me.

"You Mina?" she asks coldly. I shiver feeling nervous and a bit scared.

I gulp. "Y-Yes."

She nods. "Go and have a seat wherever you want. It's ok to talk in class as long as it is productive."

I nod. "Th-Thank you."

I see Soren sitting at a table by himself. Well, since he has this class, I might as well sit with him. Maybe I can even ask him for help. I sit down not looking at him. I don't think I should bother him though. I'll try looking over the material by myself. If I don't understand anything then I will ask him. Not until I try by myself, though.

I grab the textbook from my bag and open it up. I then flip to the chapter my class is working on and read through it. Automatically I get lost and confused with the info. I scratch the back of my head trying to understand. I don't really get what is going on. This is really boring, too. I never found interest in history. I'm sure it's important but I just don't like it at all.

I hear a sigh from next to me. "You need help?" Soren asks.

I look up shocked. He looks like he usually does but I am surprised that he would offer help. I smile blushing and feeling embarrassed.

"If you don't mind… Yes, please."

He takes the textbook from my hands and reads the page I'm on. Then he started helping me understand what was going on. He explained things as simply as possible. Slowly I was able to understand the info. It was still a bit tricky but at least I got a better understanding of it. Looking at Soren I could see the red mark on his forehead. It does look pretty neat. He looked at me making me quickly look back down at the textbook. He then continues to explain the chapter.

The bell rings. Class is over so students leave. I pack my textbook back into my bag and stand up to stretch. I look at Soren to see he was about to leave.

"Thank you for your help, Soren." I say smiling. He looks at me. "I really do appreciate it."

He stares at me for a few seconds before turning around. "No problem." He mutters. He then walks out of the classroom.

I smile. This is a good day. A pretty good day. I walk out of the class and start heading towards English. In the main court I immediately spot Leanne walking around. She is not hard to find. She sticks out a lot with those white wings. Plus, she is very beautiful. I notice other students were staring at her. I walk up to her.

"Hi, Leanne." I say smiling.

She looks at me and smiles. "Hi!" She gives me a big hug. _"How are you?"_

I smile. _"Good. How is your first day going?"_

Her smile turns bigger and brighter. _"Really fun! I like it a lot! There are lots of interesting people to see! Plus I don't have all of my classes with Reyson so I got to explore on my own."_

"_How is he doing?"_

She sighs. _"He is in a bad mood."_

I smile encouragingly. _"I'm sure he is just worried for you."_

She laughs. _"Yeah, but he needs to know that I am not a little kid anymore. I can take care of myself."_

"_Don't you need him to translate things?"_ I point out.

She nods. _"Yeah. As you know I am not very good at the modern language." _She smiles very bigly again. _"That's why I'm glad to have you as a friend."_

I blush. _"Th-Thanks. I'm glad we can talk and get along. It's thanks to my mom and her friend that I know the language."_

"_Oh, really? How nice. Maybe I can meet your mom sometime?"_

I look at the ground and not answer. I look at her and open my mouth when a voice cuts me off, _"There you are, Leanne!"_

Leanne and I turn around to see Reyson walking up to us. _"Hi, brother!"_ Leanne greets smiling.

"_We better head to our last class of the day."_ Reyson says. _"We don't want to be late again."_

I see a light blush go across Leanne's cheeks. _"I said I was sorry about that."_

Reyson smiles sweetly at her. _"It's ok. Let's just go, ok?"_

She nods. _"Ok."_ Leanne then looks at me and smiles. _"Bye, Mina. See you around?"_

"_Yeah. Bye."_

With that the two siblings left. With nothing else to do I walk to my English class. I'm so glad it is the last class of the day. I am so tired from the lack of sleep. Maybe the bad dreams will leave me alone and allow me to take a nap. I don't know what to do about the dreams. They probably mean something but I just don't know yet.

_**(After English)**_

I step outside the Beorc building and automatically hear the pouring of the rain outside. I look ahead to see that it was falling pretty hard. It doesn't look like it's going to end anytime soon. I sigh knowing my umbrella was nicely tucked away in my dorm room. What am I supposed to do now? I don't mind the rain but I don't want my stuff to get wet. It would be bad if my textbooks and my papers got soaked. I sit down leaning against the wall.

"Mina?" I look up to see Leonardo looking down at me.

"H-Hi."

"Aren't you going home?" Edward asks seeming to magically appear next to him.

"I'm just relaxing." I say smiling at them.

Leonardo opens up his umbrella. "Want to walk back with us?"

I shake my head. "You two go ahead."

Edward looks at Leonardo. "Hey, Leo, I don't have my umbrella."

Leonardo steps out into the rain. "Sucks to be you."

"Hey! Not nice!" Edward exclaims quickly standing next to him.

Leonardo sighs in defeat and fixes the umbrella so they were both under it. "Baka."

"Bye, Mina!" Edward calls back waving at me.

"Bye." I reply waving back.

Leonardo also waves before they both walk away. I close my eyes breathing calmly. It might be a while before the rain stops. I shiver hugging myself. It is pretty cold out, too. I then open my eyes thinking about something. It must suck to have wings when it's raining. I don't think bird laguzes can fly in this weather. It's probably difficult to. I close my eyes again. Oh well. I don't have wings so I don't know what it's like. I can't do anything about their problems anyway.

"Hey." I look up.

"Hi, Reina. What are you doing here?" I ask.

"Waiting for my ride." She says. "There is no way I am walking home in this."

"I'm surprised you're not with Ulki and Janaff." I comment.

Reina snorts. "Those two are nuts. They went ahead and hurried home."

I nod. "I would if I didn't have my bag."

She looks down at me. "You're crazy. You want to get cold?"

I laugh. "My dorm is right across the street."

"Lucky." She then faces where the water fountain, clock, and benches are and her eyebrows furrow. "What is he doing?"

I look where she is looking to see Derek standing out there in the middle of the rain. Why is he just standing there? I take my backpack off and stand up. Without thinking I run up to him feeling the cold rain right away.

"Derek!" I exclaim.

I stand in front of him and he looks down at me. "What are you doing?" he asks me.

"I want to know the same thing." I reply catching my breath.

He glares down at me for a few seconds. "Too crowded at the Laguz building."

"Come over to the other building, then. There is basically no one there." I say taking his wrist. I pull on it but he tenses up. He then quickly pulls his wrist out of my grasp. I look up at him and then realize why he won't move. "Reina is over there and she is a laguz. There is nothing wrong with that."

Derek opens his wings and has one stretch a top of me. With the rain not hitting me I notice that I am shivering. He quickly walks towards the building leading me with his arm. Once we were under the building I see Reina and wave at her. Her eyes grew wide.

"You ok? You're completely soaked!" she exclaims.

"I-I'm fine." I say stuttering a bit. I feel so cold.

"You're shivering like crazy!"

"I-I'm really f-fine." That didn't sound convincing even to me.

"Mina!" I turn around and I see Ranulf running towards us.

"Ranulf…" I whisper. He runs up to me and hugs me tightly. "Ranulf?" I gently hug him rubbing his back. "Are you ok?"

He lets go of me taking off the jacket that he is wearing. He puts it on me zipping it up. He then hugs me again. "I should be asking you that." He says.

"I'm fine. I was going to wait out the rain."

"I was scared." He hugs me even tighter. "Remember the last time it rained?"

I stiffen up. Yeah, I do. I remember it too well. That's when I was having problem with those girls. It was raining like this when Ranulf was carrying me back. So that's why he is scared now. He was worried something like that happened again.

I smile. "Ranulf, I'm fine. Just because it rains it doesn't mean that something bad happens. It can be a good thing, too."

He lets go of me and looks down at me. He then smiles, too. "I know. I'm sorry."

A phone rings making me jump. I look at Reina and see her pulling out her cell phone. She looks at us and blushes slightly. "Sorry." She says before answering the phone. "Hello? Oh, hi mom. You're here? Great. See you in a few seconds. Bye." She then closes the phone. "That was my mom. I gotta go. See yah."

"Bye, Reina." I say waving.

She nods smiling before running into the rain and to the entrance of the school. I look for Derek to see him leaning against the wall, crossing his arms, and looking at the ground. I look back at Ranulf.

"Did you bring an umbrella?"

He nods showing me the black one that was in his hands. I did not notice that earlier. "Let's go home."

I look at Derek really quickly. Then I look at Ranulf and nod. "Ok."

He opens it up. He puts his arm around my waist and leads me to the entrance of the school. When we got the near the road I was careful not to be near the curb. I've seen on too many TV shows and movies what happens when-

"Ahh!" a girls screams.

I look across the street to see her entirely soaked. It must have happened to her. A car drives over a puddle splashing it to the side. Poor thing. That's what I'm afraid of happening. I'm already cold as it is. I'm glad Ranulf gave me his jacket. It's big on me so the sleeves are longer than my arms. I felt warm. Must be because of his body heat was still present with the jacket. We cross the street. Ranulf opens the door but I don't step in. He looks at me worried.

He asks, "What's wrong?"

I look at him. "I feel bad. Derek is still at the school."

"I'm sure he will be fine." I look at the ground doubting Ranulf's words. I hear a sigh come from him. He places the handle of the umbrella in my hands. I look up at him to see his warm smile. "You wanna get him?" he asks.

I nod smiling. I give him a quick peck on the cheeks blushing. "Thank you, Ranulf."

"Anything for you, babe."

I hand him my bag before rushing across the street again and hurrying back to the building. When I reach the building I see Derek and smile waving slightly. Once I stood right in front of him he raises an eyebrow.

"What are you doing here? Didn't you go home?" he asks.

"Y-Yeah, but… I g-got worried about you s-so I wanted to w-walk you home." I say losing my nerve.

He glares down at me. "No."

I look sadly at him. "Come on. This rain might last for a while."

He stares for a few seconds before sighing. "You're not going to let up, are you?" I blush looking at the ground. He takes the umbrella from my hand and leads me away from the building. I look up at him blushing. He looks down at me. "You are very stubborn. You know that?"

I smile shyly before looking away embarrassed. I was just worried, that's all… We walk down the sidewalk away from the school. I could feel rain drops so I look up at the umbrella. The side of it was dripping water on my shoulder. Then the scene above me changes to a black wing. I touch it to feel soft, beautiful feathers. I look at Derek to see him looking at me. I smile at him thanking him. He, of course, doesn't say anything.

When we reached his house I was staring at it. It's small but very cute and simple. There is a white fence surrounding it and flowers around the actual house. The yard looks nice and green. There is a bird bath there on the yard. He opens the gate and we enter the property. The front door opens to reveal a beautiful woman with black wings. Derek looks like her in quite a few ways. She runs across the porch, down the stairs, and hugs Derek very tightly. He gently hugs her back. The woman looks at me and smiles.

"Thank you for bringing my son home."

"No problem." I say smiling at her. I see her hand reached out to me so I gently take it and shake it.

"It's nice to meet you." She then let's go of my hand. "Are you cold?" she asks me looking worried.

I shake my head. "I'm fine."

She looks at me up and down worriedly but she nods anyway. "Alright, child. You hurry on home and get warmed up, ok?"

I smile even bigger. "I will. Thank you." I slightly bow my head towards her.

Derek then hands me the umbrella. He quickly bows his head at me before hurrying inside the cute house with his mother. I turn around and step out of their property through the gate.

In a quick few minutes I make it back to my dorm. Ranulf was in front of my dorm room holding my bag. I smile apologetically at him taking my bag back. I give him a hug and a peck on the lips before stepping in. Lenna wasn't to be found in the room. She must be out somewhere. Why would she be out, though? It's raining. Then I remember that she told me about a job she got. Maybe she is there.

I place my bag on the ground near my bed and sit at the desk. The calendar was on the desk so I look at it. I cross out the days that have already passed this month. I was about to get up when a date caught my attention. I look at tomorrow's date. I know this date is important. How, though? Suddenly it clicks in my head and my eyes grow hugely wide. How could I forget? This is probably the most important date and I totally forgot about it! A tear rolls down my cheek. This explains the nightmares that I have been having.

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**Thanks for reading this chapter out! I would really love to hear from you people about what you think and stuff. Ok? ^_^ I feel like this chapter is really long. Possibly one of my longest ones yet! O_O If it was too long... I'M SORRY! I'll try to tone it down next chapter! Now, let me thank the following reviewers for telling me their thoughts on the last chapter.**

**_Meru-64 (I'm glad you are always reviewing. :D)  
_**

**_SunLord89 (I think I got Verid right THIS time ;) Oh, and he will have a bigger scene next time.)_**

**_HappyBunny855 (I'm glad you left a review. Thanks! ^_^)_**

**_MattyBoy91 (I'm sorry your OC got a tiny roll but I promise in the next chapter he will be more important!)_**

**_barefootbean (Thanks to you I had more ideas for this chapter. Thanks!)_**

**_myrascanrall (Thanks for your continuing support.)_**

**_GamerKnight (I'm glad you don't have questions this time around. ;) I'm glad you like my updates, too.)_**

**That's it. I will see you all in the next chapter (which I am working on this very moment, I swear)! Don't be afraid to review! The review button is a very kind one. ^_^ It won't bite. ;)_  
_**


	12. Chapter 12

**Hi, everyone! It has been forever! My bad! ^_^' Anyway, here is the new chapter. This is pretty short but I hope you all still enjoy it. I promise the next chapter will be A LOT more entertaining with action! Want to know why? ...Fighting team! It's going to be more like the actual game of Fire Emblem. I hope the way it works makes you all happy! Oh, and one thing, I have a poll on my profile page. It might seem like a stupid question but I would like it to be answered. I'm going to give you all until Friday evening to vote. After that I am putting up a new poll that I want EVERYONE to vote on! Please, people? :) On with the story!**

**_Disclaimer:__ I do not own Fire Emblem, ideas, characters, ect. The only things I own are my OCs. That is, all except Verid, Reina, and Matt. They belong to SunLord89, chelise028, and MattyBoy91._  
**

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Chapter 12

_**Lenna's POV:**_

"Are you sure you're going to be alright by yourself? Do you need anything?" I ask for probably the hundredth time.

Mina looks up at me from the bed and smiles. "I'm sure. Just go ahead to school already. I promise I will be fine."

I sigh doubting her but smile at her anyway. "Ok. I'll try to stop by later and bring you something delicious. You go ahead and relax." I rub the top of her head and Mina closes her eyes. "Bye, twin."

"Bye." She replies tiredly.

I pick up my back pack and head off to school. I hope Mina will be alright. She's been acting strange since yesterday when I came back from work. She says she's not feeling well. I have this nagging feeling that something else is wrong, though. By the water fountain is Mordecai and my mood immediately brightens up.

"Hi, baby!" I say running to him and hugging him tightly.

His large arms wrap around me making me feel safe. "Hi, angel."

I let go of him and give him a kiss on the lips. "How are you today?"

"Very good. You?"

"Happy." I pout a little. "Even though Mina is sick today. Lucky girl gets to miss school."

"Oh." Mordecai says sadly. "I hope she feels better."

I smile. "I'm sure she will."

He smiles nodding. "We better get ready for class."

"Fine."

We hold hands and walk towards the Laguz building. Yeah, I hope she is ok. Along with not looking too well, she also seemed kind of depressed. I'll ask her when I get the chance to.

_**Ranulf's POV:**_

I sit on the bench Mina likes sighing. She's not going to be here today. Lenna told me she was not feeling well. I should see her after school. I'll have to get her something, too. I'm sure she would like that. I hear two pairs of feet walking towards me so I look up.

"Hey, lover boy." Lethe says nonchalantly with her arms crossed.

"What's the matter?" Lyre asks in that annoying way she talks whenever curious.

I sigh. "Mina's sick."

"Really?" Lyre exclaims. "I thought the shy ones never get sick."

"That's not right. They say fools never get sick." Lethe corrects looking annoyed. "No wonder you never get sick."

"Not nice!" Lyre angrily says to Lethe. "I'm no fool! You're just jealous because I'm prettier!"

"Yeah, sure, that's it." Lethe rolls her eyes.

"Anyway," Lyre says ignoring her sister, "Do you know where Kyza is? I can't find him."

"Did you check the library?" I ask. That's one of the most obvious places he goes to. He is a very smart cat laguz.

"No…" Lyre then brightens up. "I'll go check!" Without another word she dashes in the direction of a library.

"You're welcome…" I mutter under my breath.

Lethe sighs. "Oh, well." She then looks at me. "You just going to mope about all morning or are you going off to class?"

I stand up. "I'm going to look for someone quickly. See yah." I say waving at her. I then walk off not really waiting for an answer from my friend.

I see red hair and immediately head to the main gate. My instincts were correct. He is leaning against the wall looking like he was debating something. I approach the guy and punch his shoulder lightly. He turns to face me and smiles.

"Hey, Ranulf. What's up?" Matt asks.

I lean against the wall next to him and shrug. "Not much. How about you?"

"Still exhausted with the late shift." He replies sighing.

I raise an eyebrow at him surprised. "Again? Geez… You seem to be busy a lot."

"It's not my fault. The owner keeps making me since the other workers are lazy. At least I get extra money. It will help me pay for the dorm room."

I nod understanding. The school bell chimes loudly making me jump. I check the large clock. Five minutes until class starts. I look at my friend.

"I got to go. You should, too."

"Well… actually, I'm thinking about cutting classes today." He said scratching the back of his head. "I'm wondering if I should or not."

I laugh. "Try to live till lunch. Then you can consider whatever the heck you want."

Matt laughs. "Alright."

We walked together until we reached the path that split the Beorc and the Laguz.

"See yah." I say.

"Bye." He says back.

That's when we went our separate ways towards class.

_**Mina's POV:**_

After I got a good enough of rest (at least, as much as I could) I got up from bed. I looked in my trunk for something decent to wear. I locate my long black dress with spaghetti straps. I slip that on along with a nice pair of black flats. I then find my black ribbon tie some of my hair up leaving the rest loose. I grab some money and place it in a black purse with long straps. Finally I grab the keys to the dorm and step out locking the door. I place the keys in the purse walking forward.

It is really quiet. No one is here because they are all at school. The only noise in the building is my feet lightly patting the steps as I climbed down. It takes the usual quick time to reach the first floor and for me to step out the large doors. As I walked towards my destination I look at the clear blue sky feeling a bit guilty.

I didn't want to lie to Lenna. Well, then again, I didn't really lie. I did not feel good. Just not in the way she was thinking. I wasn't feeling good in my heart. I almost forgot about today. How could I? It's very important! If I didn't look at the calendar I would have gone to school today without a second thought. I feel really bad.

I see a flower shop and step in. Soon, I found the type of flowers I wanted. White, beautiful lilies. I smell them enjoying the aroma. I then walk to the counter and pay for the flowers.

"Thank you. Have a good day." The woman behind the counter says smiling.

"Y-You, too." I reply softly before stepping out.

Clutching the flowers in my hands, I continue my walk. It shouldn't be for too much longer now. At least, I think so. I'm not fully used to this city yet. I have yet to get used to where everything is located. The sun was fully up now but not high in the sky quite yet. It was making its way, though.

Seeing the train station I step to a machine and pay for the ticket I need. My train was to leave in two minutes. Quickly, I walk to the train trying to make it past the crowd. It's not too bad number wise. Most people have already left for work or school so it wasn't hectic like I imagined it would. I step on the train I'm supposed to ride and sit down.

There are a few people sitting in the same car as me. An old man is sitting next to me simply looking ahead. Across from me was a young woman wearing a suite and was typing on her laptop looking in deep concentration. On the other side of me was a couple snuggling together enjoying each others' company. Finally, a man was sitting near the business woman looking relaxed. He is wearing a black knitted cap and has a dark brown goatee growing. He is leaning back wearing a large shirt and jeans that obviously were too big for him.

The train starts to slowly roll away from the station. I keep the flowers close to me having their beautiful scent comfort me. I'm by myself with these strangers on a train. It's a little scary but it's not like they are going to talk to me. It will be somewhat silent and I will be able to think to myself in peace. At least, that's what I thought.

"You look like a teenager. How old are you?" the old man asks studying me.

"S-Sixteen." I stutter out. He did take me by surprise.

He looks at me confused. "Shouldn't you be in school?"

"I-I'm visiting my p-parents." I say holding up the flowers a little for him to see.

He looks at them smiling gently. "Those are beautiful."

"Th-Thank you." I say returning the smile.

"Those were my wife's favorite flowers." He is still smiling but his eyes look pained.

My eyes grow wide. "I-Is she not a-around anymore?"

He shakes his head. "She traveled to heaven two years ago."

My eyes grew even wider. "Th-That's when my p-parents…" I look at the flowers sadly. I couldn't bring myself to finish the sentence.

He looks at me looking just as shocked as I was. He places his hand my knee comfortingly. "I'm sorry to hear that, child. It's painful… loosing someone close."

I nod. "B-But, every time I think about the happy memories, I can't help but smile. I really loved them a lot." I then smile at the old man. "I'm sure your wife was happy. I bet you have lots of happy memories of her."

He smiles at me. "Too many to count. She was a sweet, kind woman. She always smiled and enjoyed life to the fullest. No matter how foolish I acted she was there, by my side, holding my hand, and loving me." He laughs half-heartedly. "I always wondered what she saw in me. I didn't deserve her and yet I got her."

A tear fell down my cheek. He continues patting my knee. It was silent for a few moments. I was thinking about my parents while he was thinking of his wife. I don't think either of us were paying attention the world around us. The train's rhythm helped me recover. I wipe my eyes quickly.

I then looked at the old man and started talking to him. We talked about a few things. Mainly I let him talk about his past. How he was in high school. He liked doing pranks and hanging with his friends. He met his wife junior year. They went to the same college. After college they got married. He then talked about his only son who is now working in a hospital. He has a family of his own. The old man was talking about his two granddaughters when the train stopped at my station.

"I-I'm sorry," I say interrupting him, "this is my stop."

He nods smiling. "Good bye. I enjoyed our talk. Maybe we will see each other in the future."

I smile. "I hope so, too."

Quickly, I give him a hug and he returns it. Afterwards I stepped off the train. I was careful with the flowers in my hands as I flowed through the tiny crowd. The train rolls away and I keep walking exiting the station. I look around my hometown and smile. This is where I grew up. A nice and quiet place that is not too busy.

I stride forward feeling relaxed. It was nice talking to that man. He is very kind and we share something in common. We both lost people dear to us. It's sad that my parents weren't able to live past the time I was in middle school. I look around my scenery again. Nothing looks changed since I left. The same shops, houses, and fields were still around in the same places as before.

Once I was at the entrance of the church I took a deep breath. Be strong, Mina, be strong. Once I felt ready I stepped on the church grounds. I walk around it to the back where the cemetery is located. I find the large oak tree that stands near where my parents' tombstones rest. Soon enough I found them. One read 'Mr. Mark Larry Seno' while the other read 'Lucy Rose Seno'. I divided the lilacs equally so there were half on dad's grave and the other half was on mom's grave. I knelt down between the two and smiled.

"Hi mom and dad. I'm sorry I've been gone for a while. I've moved to a new area just recently. It's very busy and not like here at all." I laugh. "I have met some interesting people, though. Lots of things have happened." I blush. "I found a boyfriend who is kind, sweet, and everything I need. He makes me feel good. His name is Ranulf. I should bring him next time so you guys can meet him." I smile brightly. "I know you guys will love him a lot!"

Feeling the sadness hitting me again I lie down on my back. I place my hands on both of their spots. "Things have been lonely without you guys." I say with the tears stinging my eyes. "I wish I could see you guys again. My life has gotten weird but… I like it. It would be better with you two, though."

I close my eyes. I then imagined that they were lying down on both sides of me holding my hand with warm smiles on their faces…

_**Soren's POV:**_

While walking with Ike to our next classes I look around curiously. Mina is nowhere around. Where could she have gone? She wasn't in her usual spot early this morning. Is she sick? Did something happen? I stare at the ground annoyed. Why am I even thinking about this? It's no big deal if she is not here. It could be that she arrived late and I just haven't seen her yet.

"Soren?"

I look up. "Yes, Ike?"

"Are you ok?" he asks sounding cautious. "You look… agitated."

"I don't what you are talking about. I'm fine." I say looking ahead holding my book to my side.

"Anything you need to talk about?"

"I'm fine." I repeat.

Ike sighs sounding defeated. "Alright."

Stupid curiosity, stupid questions, stupid Mina…

_**Mina's POV:**_

I opened my eyes. The large oak tree was shading me from the sun that is high above. I sit up and rub my weary eyes. I can't believe I fell asleep. I did have a good dream, though. I was with my parents and all three of us were happy. I stand up fixing my dress up a little and quickly fixing my hair a tad bit. I look at the two tombstones and smile sadly.

"Bye. I'll try to visit you guys again soon." I then walk away.

The scent of lilies were still in the air and I smile. It reminds me of my house. It used to always smell like those flowers since my mom would plant those in the garden. I walk past the church and then I was on the sidewalk again.

Soon, I was at the train station and my ticket was still good for the trip back. I'm glad I didn't sleep for too long. If I did I would have missed my train that would take me back home. Again, I went through the station and past the crowd. There seems to be more people than earlier.

As soon as I stepped on the train the doors shut and it starts rolling. Apparently I got on just in time. That's good. I sit down in a spot. The people I saw earlier were not in this car. I look around at the new faces. There is a young woman with a little boy sitting across from me snacking on some food. Near me was a man reading a newspaper. On another side of the car was an old couple holding hands and relaxing.

I lean back but soon hear my stomach growl. I clutch it blushing slightly. Well, it is almost lunch time. As soon as I get back I'll make something to eat. Suddenly, I notice the little boy is standing in front of me staring at me.

"C-Can I help you?" I ask.

He digs into a plastic bag that he is holding and pulls out a cupcake. It is vanilla flavored with white icing. On it were red sprinkles the shape of miniature dragon. That is a cute cupcake!

"That's cute." I say smiling at him.

He hands it to me. "Do you want it?"

"Um, it's ok. I'm fine."

"But I heard your tummy make noises. Doesn't that mean you are hungry?" he says tilting his head to the side.

I blush a bright pink with embarrassment. "W-Well…" I take a deep breath and smile. "Th-Thank you."

I take the cupcake from his hands and take a bite. I close my eyes enjoying the sugary treat.

"Do you like it?" The kid asks.

I nod smiling even more brightly. "This is delicious!"

He smiles brightly. "My mom and I made these! We are going to go visit grandma and grandpa today!" he exclaims.

I giggle. "That's nice. I'm sure they will love these cupcakes." I say encouragingly. "I know I do!"

He laughs. "Thanks!"

He then returns to sitting next to his mom. She looks at me and nods smiling. I nod in return. The rest of the ride was quiet; just what I need. I close my eyes for a few minutes. Soon enough the train arrived at my stop. I stand up and get off. I work my way through the station and out. I was back home. Walking towards the dorms I start humming a song that I like. Then the lyrics came to me.

_Do you ever feel like breaking down?_

_Do you ever feel out of place?_

_Like somehow you just don't belong_

_And no one understands you._

I round a corner to see that a few blocks away were the dorms. I continue singing.

_Do you ever wanna run away?_

_Do you lock yourself in your room?_

_With the radio on, turned up so loud_

_That no one hears you screaming._

From behind me I hear someone else start singing.

_No you don't know what it's like_

_When nothing feels alright_

I turn around to see the same red headed guy as before when I went out to eat with Lenna. He is smirking as he sings.

_You don't know what it's like_

_To be like me…_

I smile and start singing the chorus along with him.

_To be hurt_

_To feel lost_

_To be left out in the dark_

_To be kicked_

_When you're down_

_And feel like you've been pushed around_

_To be on the edge of breaking down_

_And no one's there to save you_

_No you don't know what it's like…_

_Welcome to my life._

I start laughing and he joins in with me. I then calm down a bit and look at him.

"Good band, right?" he asks smirking.

I blush slightly. "Y-Yeah. I like their songs."

He then pauses looking me over. "Haven't I seen you before?"

I nod. "I ate with my friend at that place you work at."

He snaps his fingers. "Oh, yeah! That's right!" He laughs and I giggle.

"The name's Matt." He says stretching his hand out in my direction.

I timidly place my hands in his shaking it. "M-Mina."

Matt lets go and raises his eye brow. "Ranulf's girlfriend?"

My eyes grow wide. "Y-Yes. H-How do you…?"

He places his fists at his sides smiling brightly. "Ah ha! So I was right! I'm friends with him. We tell each other things." I nod understanding. He looks at me curiously. "How come you are outside? I thought you were sick."

My eyes grow wide again. "I-I am. I-It's just… I needed fresh air." I say quickly.

Matt smirks. "You skipping school?"

I shake my head side to side quickly. "N-No! It's not like that!"

He laughs. "Relax. I'm just messing." He looks at my outfit. "You sure love your black, huh?"

"Not particularly." I reply a bit hesitantly.

"You look like you belong at a cemetery or something!" He laughs again. I slightly smile though I look at the ground sadly. He quickly stops. "Wait. Don't tell me… Did you actually go to visit someone?" I nod hesitantly. He slaps his hand on his forehead looking guilty. "Oh, geez! I'm sorry! I feel like a total jerk now!"

My eyes grow wide and I quickly shake my head. "N-No! It wasn't your fault! Y-You didn't know, that's all! It's fine! Really!"

He smiles but I can tell that he still feels bad. "Thanks." He then looks like he got an idea. "How about I treat you to lunch?"

"R-Really?" I say a bit surprised.

He shrugs. "Why not? That way I can make it up to you."

"Y-You don't h-have to-"

"Please. My treat." Matt says smiling brightly.

He makes it hard to refuse the offer. So, I nod. "Ok."

"Great! I know just the place to go. It is right down this street." He says pointing behind me.

We then start walking. I notice that it's really close to the school. When we got there I see that it is a tiny little café. I think Lenna said that she works at one. I wonder if this is the same place. We both step in. There is only one person in line so it didn't take long before it was our turn to order.

"I'll have chocolate chip muffin and some coffee." Matt looks down at me. "What do you want?"

"Blueberry muffin and tea." I reply.

The person behind the cash register types all that in. He says the total but I don't pay attention as I look around the place. It's very cute and simple. I notice the waitresses are wearing very cute maid outfits. They were all the traditional black with white aprons and little head piece.

"Is this for here or to go?"

"Here."

"You may sit down and a waitress will bring your food in a minute."

"Thank you."

I feel someone nudging my arm so I look to see Matt looking at me. I silently follow him to a table and sit across from him. I look at him with this question nagging at my head.

"Why are you out? Shouldn't you be in school?" I ask him.

He shrugs. "I decided to leave at lunch time and skip the rest of the day."

My eyes grow wide. "S-Skip?"

Matt laughs. "Yeah. Kind of stupid, but I'm just having one of those days."

"Is something wrong?"

"Nothing is wrong, really. I'm just getting used to this new place, that's all. I just moved here last week. I moved into my dorm and everything. I already made good friends like Ranulf. But, you know, I still got to get used to things."

I smile. "I know how that feels. I moved here a while ago but I still can't get used to a busy place like this."

He smiles. "Yeah, it sure is different. I've never seen such a large high school before. What grade are you in?"

"Sophomore. What about you?"

"I'm in my senior year. Once I'm finish the year, I'm going to the college that is near here."

"Oh, that's nice."

That's when a waitress arrives dropping off our food and drinks. She bows before disappearing again. We talked while enjoying our muffins. Well, more like he talked and I listened. I'm mainly a listening type of person so I don't mind it. I'd rather have others talk, anyway.

When we were done we both stood up and exited the little café. We start walking to where the dorms are. We stopped in front of mine.

"What building are you in?" I ask him.

"I'm in building two." He replies. He then asks me, "Whose grave did you visit? If you don't mind me asking, that is."

I look to the side. "Both of my parents." I reply.

"I'm sorry to hear that. I'm sure they appreciate you visiting them."

I smile looking back at him. "Thanks. I better go inside." I say pointing to the building. "Bye."

"Bye." He says waving. He then walks down to where the other dorm buildings are.

I enter my building and walk up the steps to the fourth floor. Entering my dorm room I place my purse on the desk. I then lie down on my bed exhausted. That was a lot of walking and it's only 1:30. I undo my hair, take off my shoes, and climb under the covers. I then close my eyes.

_**Lenna's POV:**_

"Where are you going?" Ranulf asks.

"Work." I reply walking past the school gates.

"Shouldn't you check on Mina?"

I turn around and sigh heavily. "I would love to but I am running late for work." I see Ranulf not looking pleased and I sigh again. "Look. If you want to see her that badly be my guest."

I turn around and jog over to work. I just got the job at the café and I don't want to lose it so quickly. I make it just in time and go in the back. I change into my maid dress and then step out.

"Lenna. Thank goodness you are here. I need you to deliver this to table 4." An employee, Debora, says to me handing me a tray.

She sometimes works behind the cash register and is a very nice person. Sometimes she switches out with John, another employee. Debora is the manager of the place and makes sure everything is in order and that everything runs smoothly. She hardly gets mad at anyone.

"Will do, ma'am." I reply smiling while taking the food and drinks from her.

I quickly place it at the table bowing to the customers before returning to the counter. The owner stops me.

"You know that friend you talk about all the time."

"Mina?" She nods. "Yeah, what about her?"

"I saw her come in today with a young gentleman with red hair. I was surprised that they weren't in school but, hey, I guess they felt like skipping."

I look at her confused. "That's odd. She's supposed to be sick."

Debora shrugs. "Maybe she felt better and decided to go out with someone." She then smiles. "A very handsome man indeed."

I take the next order from her without saying anything. I bring it to table 7, smile and bow, and return to the counter to get more food. That is strange. Why would she be out if she is sick? Someone with red hair? That sounds like that waiter from that restaurant. Once I come back from my shift I am going to get some answers from Mina.

_**Ranulf's POV:**_

I knock on the door but nobody answers. I turn the knob to see that it is unlocked. I step in to spot Mina lying in her bed asleep. Her sheets were in a mess so I could see the black dress she is wearing. Odd. Those don't look like PJ's. Suddenly she sits up wiping her eyes drearily. I just stare at her blushing slightly. She looks adorably cute. She then notices me and blushes slightly.

"Ranulf?"

"Hi." I say walking over to her. I sit on the bedside near her. "How are you feeling?"

Mina draws her knees close to her chest and hugs them. "Better. Still tired."

She then shifts her position so that she is kneeling on the bed and rests her head against my shoulder. I wrap my arm around her comforting her.

"Nice dress. Did you go out?" I ask curiously.

Her body stiffens. She then looks up at me as if unsure of something. She then puts her head back down.

"I visited my parents' graves." She mutters very quietly making it hard for me to hear. That's why cat ears come quite in handy.

After registering what she said my eyes grow wide for a split second before returning to normal. Her parents died? Poor Mina… I rub her back. "How are you holding up?"

She looks up at me with tears forming in her eyes. I lean my back against the wall still sitting on her bed. I then pat my lap. Mina then sits on them and I hug her tightly. I stay quiet while she cries and I continue trying to comfort her. Kisa, who seems to appear out of nowhere, curls up by her feet. In a few moments she falls asleep again. I close my eyes still holding her tight.

_**Matt's POV:**_

I had tried calling him five times now and he still won't pick up. Where the hell is he? What is he doing? I then smirk realizing something. Maybe he went to visit Mina and things are going well. I close my phone and place it in my pocket. I was taking a walk when a girl with purple hair and black-and-white ears and tale comes up to me.

"Hey, did you come to the café today?" she asks.

"Am I being interrogated?" I ask in return smirking.

She places her hands at her sides. "Just answer the question."

I put my hands up in defense. "Relax, I was just joking. Yes, I did."

"Were you with Mina?"

"Yes. Are you her friend?"

"Yes. Why was she out? She's supposed to be sick."

I pause in consideration. "It would probably be best if you ask her yourself. Now, if that is all, I'm going to resume my walk."

She walks past me without another word. I look behind me to see she was moving in a quick pace. Geez, someone is in a bad mood. I shrug. I press play on my iPod and start humming to 'Welcome to My Life' by Simple Plan.

_**Lenna's POV:**_

Geez, what an annoying guy. At least he answered _some_ of my questions. I quickly return to the dorms and climb the steps. I've been worrying all day about her and now I learn this new info. I'm hoping she is ok and that I get to learn why she went out. I open the door really hard it was a miracle that it didn't break.

Ranulf is leaning against the wall on Mina's bed with the mentioned girl on his lap. They were both asleep. I cool down from my frustration and take deep breathes. At my feet was Kisa like usual. I pick her up and place her on my bed. I go to the bathroom to get changed into my PJ's. I return to the room to see Ranulf had woken up and is now tucking Mina under the covers.

He looks up at me and smiles. "Hi, Lenna. How was work?"

"Fine." I say quickly walking over to my bed and sit down.

"Did something happen?" he asks.

I sigh. "I learn that Mina went out when she was supposed to be sick and I want to know why."

He pauses before answering, "She went to see her parents."

I look at him confused. "Is it a big deal? Did she get in a fight with them or something?"

Ranulf's eyes grow slightly wide in shock. "Mina didn't tell you?" I shake my head slowly. "Her parents are dead."

My eyes grow wide. I exclaim, "What? I never-!"

He puts his finger over his lips signaling that I should be quiet. I close my mouth tightly. "I just learned this, too. Today might have been the anniversary of their death or something."

I look at the girl sadly. That's why she has been acting strange. I knew something was up but I never thought… Ah, Mina! Why didn't you tell me! I sit on my bed and Kisa stays near me. I pet her gently. Ranulf straightens up after finishing tucking her in. He kisses her forehead gently. He then heads for the door.

"I'm heading for bed. See yah."

"Bye." I mutter as he shuts the door.

I then lie down on my bed. I close my eyes as sleep soon took over my body. I wanted to talk to Mina so badly but she is exhausted. I talk to her as soon as possible.

* * *

**How was this chapter, everyone? If it was a tad bit boring I'm sorry. Like I said earlier I promise that the next one will have more action. Hopefully a little less drama, too! ^_^ You can all think of this chapter as a belated Valentine's Day gift. If you guys were alone for that day my heart goes out to you. I was alone, too. :( Oh, well. I had my friends and family for comfort! :D For those who had someone special... LUCKY DUCKS! XD Anyway, here are the thanks for the people who reviewed the last chapter.**

**_myrascanrall (Thanks for being patient XD)_**

**_Meru-64 (I will try to get your OC introduced in the next chapter ^_^)_**

**_MattyBoy91 (Hope your character wasn't OOC! Oh, and thanks for letting me use him.)_**

**_SunLord89 (Your OC wasn't in this one, sorry. :( He will have a big role in the next chapter, though! :D)_**

**_Greener223 (Even though it was a bit... strange... probably an understatement. -_-)_**

**_barefootbean (If the appearances were short, I'm sorry. I tried. ^^')_**

**_HappyBunny855 (I'm always happy you review! lol)_**

**_GamerKnight (Don't worry about you failing, I'm pretty close to it, too. -_-... XD)_**

**Thanks, y'all! Now, if you will excuse me, I'm going to have some more free time before I go out to dinner with my family for my dad's b-day. *gasp* It's amazing how he is already 49! One more year until the big 50's! XD Bye, everyone! See yah next time! ^_^_  
_**


	13. Chapter 13

**Hi, everyone! I'm sorry it has been such a long time but at least it was before the end of the month! ^_^' So... how has everyone been doing? Oh, and one quick thing! I have a poll posted on my profile! It is different from the first one but it HAS to be voted on! If you don't, I will take a longer time to post the next chapter! Even longer than this took! O.o Everyone got that? Good! :) Without further ado... let's go ahead and start this baby! XD**

**_Disclaimer: I do not own Fire Emblem or the characters. The only thing I own is the creation of this fanfiction and my OCs. Well, all except Reina, Matt, Verid, and a new one... Meru! These OCs belong to chelise028, MattyBoy91, SunLord89, and Meru-64. ^_^_  
**

* * *

Chapter 13

The sun was high in the sky as it shown down on me, Ranulf, and other students. My grey hat covers my eyes from the sun and my blue jeans and black and white t-shirt felt light. It's after school time and we are all on one of the two bleachers that looks over the special field for fighting. It is gridded with faint white lines. On both sides of the field is a tower-like thing. In the top is a platform where the tactician stands and looks on a 2D grid in order to guide the fighters.

Ranulf and I are holding hands simply waiting for the teachers to show up. The others are talking amongst themselves and I look to see if I recognize any of them. I see Matt, Micaiah, Sothe, Leonardo, Edward, Ike, Soren, Mist, Ilyana, Boyd, Rolf, Mia, Heather, Mordecai, Lethe, Janaff, Ulki, and Reina. Everyone else I don't recognize. There are a lot of people on this team. I think they are going to split it up. If they didn't the field would get way too crowded. Lenna and Lyre are going to be on the cheerleading team. At least, that's what I heard.

"What's up, Mina?" Ranulf asks me suddenly.

I look at him and smile. "J-Just looking for people I-I recognize."

"There are a lot of people here." He comments.

"Y-Yeah, there are."

He squeezes my hand. "You ok with that?"

I laugh. "I-I don't see how i-it can be avoided."

"Everyone shut up and listen!" Mr. Shinon demands.

Everyone got silent and I froze in shock. When did he show up? I look around and find him on the other side of the field standing next to Mr. Verid. They both walk forward so they were closer to all of us. They look at all of us looking very serious. Mr. Verid then smirks.

"I see there are a lot of you. I'm impressed." He says. His smirk grew wider. "Of course, there won't be as many for long." I gulp.

"You guys better be serious with this decision to be here." Mr. Shinon says. "This is not a child's game. This is a very serious sport of fighting and we take it very seriously. So should all of you. This isn't easy."

"I don't want any wimps on this team." Mr. Verid adds in very seriously. "You're just going to drag your team down if you are lazy or scared. Especially if you are very weak." There was silence for a few moments. Then, Mr. Verid smiles. "Why don't we start with eliminations?"

Mr. Shinon spoke up with, "We are going to call specific people up and when we do step forward. Then we are going to have you guys show your skills off in front of us."

"And if we don't think you are not good enough," Mr. Verid says. He starts waving with his one hand. "It's bye-bye to you."

Students murmur. I look up at Ranulf to be met with his mis-matched colored eyes. He smiles down at me. "We will make it through."

"H-How do you know?" I ask unsure.

"Because we have each other to support one another."

I blush smiling. "H-How come you always kn-know the right things to s-say?"

He smirks. "That is because I am amazing like that."

I playfully bump my shoulder against his arm giggling.

"Sword and knife wielders. Please step forward." Mr. Shinon calls.

I sigh. Of course I have to step forward. Technically, I can use a knife. A lot of people, including me, leave the bleachers and onto the field. Under Mr. Verid's command, we quickly set up a bunch of dummies on the field. Then Mr. Shinon gave the signal to start. It was interesting being with everyone. Ike was doing very well. Sothe, too, is doing really well. I practice on my own spinning and swinging my knife. I think I was doing alright.

There was one person in particular that stood out. The person has long azul hair tied up in a pony-tail. The person is also wearing boy clothes. Even though that is the case, the person only kind of looks like a boy. They also look like a girl. I can't look at the shoulders because the shirt is too baggy so I look at the face. It looks like a girl's face.

I see a few walk away looking frustrated. They must not have made it through. Ike was still in. I look around some more to find Matt's red hair. That's good he is still in. I also spot Edward and he looks like he is getting a kick out of this. I smile as he was doing very well. I even found Mia and she was also doing very well. She was smiling as she was hitting the dummies.

"Alright, that's enough." Mr. Shinon says. The sword wielders stop. "We have eliminated the people we thought did not belong. Now we want the magic wielders to come up."

I leave the field happy. It wasn't scary. For some reason, it doesn't feel like it really counted. Probably since using the knife isn't using my main weapon. For most of the people, this was their only time going up. I sit next the Ranulf.

I notice that all but one left. The one with long hair in a pony-tail. They put away their sword and pull out a light spell book. That's impressive to use a sword and magic. Must be a strong fighter that trains a lot.

"That guy with the long azul hair is good." Ranulf comments. I nod. "You did pretty good, too." He says kindly.

I look up at him blushing. "Th-Thanks."

Micaiah, Ilyana, and Soren are among the group of magic wielders. Micaiah has her light spell book, Ilyana with her thunder spell book, and Soren with his wind spell book. I then spot red hair. It's not Matt, but it's… Tormod? I can't believe I didn't spot him either! He has his fire spell book out and ready to go. This should be very fun to watch. I just hope no one gets hurt.

They replaced the shredded dummies with stronger looking ones. When they started it was insane. Strong breezes came from the wind spells and it is loud with all the thunder. I rest my head against Ranulf and he hugs me close. Only a few students were kicked out this time. As they were leaving the field my hat flew into the air. It somehow land's on that one person's head. I run up to get my hat.

"I-I'm sorry." I say. The person turns around holding the hat. "It f-flew off."

"Oh, it's ok." SHE says smiling! She hands me the hat. "Here."

I take it smiling back. I place it on my head and quickly run back to Ranulf. I sit next to him and he hugs me.

"Th-The person is a-a girl." I say looking up at him.

His eyes grow slightly wide. "Huh. Interesting."

"Up next we want to see the lance and axe wielders." Mr. Verid says.

The magic people left and it is now time for those who wield lances and axes. I close my eyes taking a breather. Archers are going to be after this. I just hope things go well. That I won't have to leave so early when I just made it. I open my eyes and see a few lancers and axe people leaving. Boyd doesn't leave. Good for him. Then it ended.

"Archers." Mr. Shinon calls. I take a deep breath.

"Good luck." Ranulf says.

I smile at him. "Th-Thanks."

I walk forward clutching my bow tightly. I try to look as tough as possible even though inside I was shaking. New dummies were placed out.

"Ready." Mr. Shinon says. Everyone, including me, got our bow ready with our arrow. "Start!"

I shot my arrow. It hit the dummies chest. I pull out another one. Near the same spot. I kept going hitting either that area or the shoulders. I even shot the stomach area a few times. At one point I noticed a girl that was standing next to me earlier was gone. I guess she didn't make it. I spot Leonardo. He is good so it's no surprise he is still in. Even Rolf was holding up just fine. That's good.

"Stop!" Mr. Verid calls out. We all do. "Thank you. You make go back, now."

I immediately jog up to Ranulf. "I-I did it!" I tell him beaming.

He hugs me. "Good job. You were amazing out there!" I hug him back very tightly.

"Alright, now it's the Laguz's turn." Mr. Verid calls out.

I look at Ranulf. "Good luck."

He smiles at me. "Thanks." He pecks my forehead.

He then goes up to where the others are. They all immediately shift into their animal forms. My eyes grow wide when I see Derek. I didn't think he was joining! How come I didn't see him earlier? You would think a raven Laguz would be easy to spot. I guess not. I look back at Ranulf. His aqua blue fur looked really shiny with the sun hitting it. I quickly pull out my notebook and sketch the moment. While he fought I drew in details. It was soon over but I wasn't done with the drawing. I hide it before Ranulf could see it. He sits next to me.

"How did I do?" he asks.

"Amazing!" I exclaim smiling. I blush. "Y-You're really strong."

He smirks. "All the better to protect you." He says flexing his arm slightly. I giggle.

"Alright, now here is what we are going to do." Mr. Shinon says.

"We are going to start training." Mr. Verid says.

"So everyone that is sitting stand up!" he finishes.

I stand up with Ranulf and a few others. The numbers have dropped but it is still a huge group. I wonder what will happen. Mr. Shinon and Mr. Verid talk for a bit until they face us again.

Mr. Verid opens his mouth. "We are going to do ten people against ten people. Before we decide who fights, we need to explain a few things. Normally there is a commander in the tower. Today, Mr. Shinon and I are going to be in the towers. There is also going to be a tactician. Someone on the field who says what to do and the commander and tactician talk it out. When we decide who is fighting, someone will have to volunteer to be a tactician. No volunteers… we pick."

"You will be wearing bracelets and special armor." Mr. Shinon continues explaining. "The bracelet will tell you when you are chosen to move and your health points along with when a cleric heals you. Your armor picks up when you get hit by an enemy. Everyone gets an earpiece. This is how the commander and/or tactician will communicate with you. Commander and tactician get headphones with a microphone connected to it so they can talk into it."

"So… did you all get that?" Mr. Verid says smirking. There was a very short pause before he spoke again. "Good. Let's get started."

The two teachers speak to each other looking at a sheet. They are probably picking people for the teams. Soon enough, they were chosen. We had to step forward if they say our names. For the first team they chose a few people that I know. Ilyana, Soren, Reina, Mordecai, Matt, and that girl I met earlier. Her name is Meru. A nice and interesting name in my opinion. I was also one of the people they chose. On the other team there was Leonardo, Edward, Lethe, and Mia. Everyone else I didn't recognize.

For my team, Mr. Shinon is our commander and our tactician is Soren. He had willingly chosen to take the role. I wonder how this will turn out. He seems really smart so I think I can rely on him for this. Everyone put on padding and the armor. We all then got our bracelet. It slipped on perfectly; not too tight or too loose. We all got ear pieces. Then we all stood in positions.

"Are you all ready?" I hear Mr. Shinon ask through the earpiece.

I look up at the tower to see him standing there. I nod. I look over at Soren. He looks ready as well. In fact, everyone looked ready. I felt kind of scared standing here. I'm going to be fighting against a few friends of mine. Let's just hope I can handle this.

"Begin the battle!" Mr. Shinon calls out (luckily not through the earpiece since he was loud).

The other team got to go first. They moved their people closer to us in different spots. Pretty quickly it was our turn. I watch as Matt fought a fire mage that was close. He was close to burning but managed to defeat the guy. The guy looked disappointed as he left the field. Reina shifted and I see that the bracelet was on her foot. I guess if you have wings you wouldn't be able to have it on your wrist when in human form. She then flew forward and fought a sword wielder. She didn't finish him off but it was cool to watch.

"Mina, your turn." I hear Soren say. I nod. "I want you to attack the sword wielder straight in front of you."

I look in the direction and sigh in relief. It's not Edward. That's good. I jog forward the necessary spaces (which are a decent size) and aim my arrow. I launch it and it barely nicks the shoulder armor. I look at my bracelet. It is glowing green. I frown at it confused.

"You get to fire again." Soren says.

"Oh!" I exclaim understanding.

I pull out another arrow. This time it hits the guy's chest armor. My bracelet goes to grey. He didn't leave the field so I guess I didn't drain his entire HP away. He hands me my arrows back and I thank him. Ilyana then comes up two spots away from me and hits the guy with her thunder spell. He was done. He left the field.

"G-Good job." I say smiling at her.

She looks at me and slightly smiles. "Thanks." She then pouts. "I'm hungry…"

"I-I'm sure you w-will get to eat soon." I say trying to cheer her up.

She nods still not looking happy. She looks very skinny so I'm not surprised that she is hungry. Other people on my team went though their turns. Only one other person from the other side left the battlefield. It was then their turn. Mia comes up and fights Ilyana. Ilyana lands a hit but Mia is able to attack twice. She was gone. Ilyana leaves the battlefield with a simple sigh. I think she is really focusing on that food that she wants.

The enemy side moved all their people and they were closer. Two people that I don't know from our side had to leave the field. Luckily, no one attacked me. Edward and Leonardo are very close making me nervous, though. Their tactician might decide to have them both attack me together. I don't think I can dodge that much.

It was our turn again. Matt got in a spot in front of me. He turns around looking at me and smirks.

"Looks like I get the job of protecting you." He says.

I smile. "Th-That is good. I-I could use the help."

He turns back around readying his sword.

"Mina, I want you to stay where you are." Soren says.

I look at my bracelet. It goes from green to grey immediately. I look at Soren at nod. As he gives other orders I stand waiting anxiously for the enemy's turn. Mordecai is doing really good. He fought against Lethe but it's a draw right now. When our turn was over I noticed only one person was missing from our team. Then it was their turn.

Edward comes up and attacks Matt. Matt is good at dodging and attacking. Edward is also quick on his feet. They both got to attack twice but none of them left the field. Leonardo then came and attacked Matt. He dodged. I sigh in relief. I don't want Matt to leave me alone. A few other moves were made by the other side and then it was our turn.

Matt ducks down making me confused. I see Edward's shocked expression as he looks at me. I smile nervously.

"Attack the sword fighter in front of you." Soren orders.

My eyes grow wide. That's why Matt ducked. I get my arrow ready frowning.

"I-I'm sorry." I say.

He shrugs. "It is just a practice fight."

I smile. I aim at him and he looks relaxed. Is he even going to attempt to dodge? My eyes grow wide.

"B-Be serious about th-this, Edward." I tell him. "N-No freebies."

He smirks. "Just shoot the arrow, Mina."

I flinch. Why does he do this? Can't he just be serious and not a total goof? It is just a practice fight but… still. I fire the arrow. He slightly moves to the side as the arrow hits him in the chest. He was done.

"Oh, oops. I guess I was just too slow for the arrow." He exaggerates loudly handing me my arrow back smiling widely. "Good luck, sis." Edward whispers to me as I take my arrow back.

I smile. "Th-Thanks."

He walks off without a care in the world. Leonardo stares after him stunned. I look at my bracelet. It has turned grey. My turn is done. Matt stands up and looks at me.

"You have nice friends, huh?"

I nod. "H-He is a g-goof like that."

He looks serious. I guess Soren is talking to Matt right now. Matt turns around and faces Leonardo. Up close archers can't fight back so all Leonardo can do is stand back. Just like when he attacked Matt from a distance and Matt couldn't do anything. Matt slashes at Leonardo. He steps back but the sword still slightly scratched the armor. Those are health points gone. Matt doesn't move again. I guess his turn is done. Reina flies forward and finishes him off making me gasp. He looks at me, smiles, and walks off the field.

I look around. Both Mordecai and Lethe are gone. I wonder what happened. Soren is pretty close to where they stood so maybe he had something to do with it? I don't know. It was the enemy's turn again, anyway.

Mia charges at me and hits me. My HP goes down but not by too much. I can't attack since she is too close to me. She can't attack twice, luckily. Matt is looking at me worriedly so I smile at him. I look for Reina. An archer is attacking her! That is not good! The first arrow she dodges but another one comes. She gets hit and she has to leave the field. Others moved but they didn't attack. It's now our turn.

Soren goes up and finishes the archer that shot Reina down. Meru goes and attacks an axe wielder. She doesn't finish him off but before her turn ended she switched her weapon to a sword.

"Mina, attack the sword person that fought you last turn." He says.

I move one spot back and shoot. I hit her. I can't attack twice and she is not leaving the field. Oh no. She is going to attack me next turn and I won't be able to do anything.

"Hey. I heard you also wield a knife. That true?" Soren asks. I look to where he is at and nod. "Ok, equip it. You are going to need it for the upcoming turn."

I put my arrow away and hold the knife tightly. This is it. I have been practicing with it for a while so now is the moment whether I can use it well against another person or not. There is another axe wielder and Matt goes to fight him. Soren then goes and finishes him off. The guy steps off the field. It's the enemy's turn.

Mia runs up to me. This time I dodge her swing. I step forward and squat slashing sideways. I miss. I look at my bracelet. For some reason I can attack again. I close my eyes to focus. Quickly, I stand up and spin around. I hear the slashing of the knife making contact with armor. I open my eyes and step back. Mia looks at her bracelet and her eyes grow wide.

"My HP is gone? What? How?" she exclaims. She looks at me. "How did you do that?"

My eyes grow wide and I shake my head. "I-I… I don't kn-know." I reply.

She smiles brightly. "Man! You got speed!" She then walks off the field.

I stood there confused and unsure. What just happened? I notice the lancer was much closer to me than before. I look around to not find Meru anywhere on the field. He must have finished her. I think she might have taken some HP from him, though. At least, I hope so.

It's our turn. Soren runs up and hits him once with some strong wind magic. It doesn't completely get rid of the lancer though. Matt tries to run up to attack but he is a few spaces off. That leaves me.

"Mina, go run by Matt." He says. "You are able to reach him with the amount of spaces you have."

I run up next to Matt. I keep my knife clutched close to me and I am panting.

"You alright?" Matt asks.

I look at him. "I-I'm tired. Mia was n-not easy." I say.

He smiles at me reassuringly. "Don't worry. We only got one more person to deal with."

I nod smiling. It was now that one guy's turn. He rides up to me. Oh no. He attacks me. I thought I dodge but then I hear it scratching the armor on my shoulder. I check my bracelet. My HP is lower. I attack him with my knife. It lands a hit but I have a feeling that not a lot of HP was taken from him. I attack again but it doesn't seem to do much. It becomes our turn.

Matt comes up and attacks him. He is almost finished. Soren then hits him with wind magic. He is done. The game is over and my team won. Thank goodness. I feel so tired. If those two guys hadn't finished him off I don't think I would be here right now. I hear everyone clapping and cheering for us from the bleacher. I smile.

The teachers were no longer on the tower but were near us on the field. Mr. Shinon comes over.

"Good job, you three." He says smirking. He looks at me. "Good use of a knife. You're tough for a shy girl."

I smile blushing. "Th-Thank you, Mr. Shinon."

"You three may get off the field."

I walk back with Matt and Soren. "G-Good job you guys." I say to them.

"Yeah. You, too." Matt says smiling.

"Th-Thanks." I look at Soren. "Y-You are a g-good tactician." I compliment.

He looks at me. "I don't believe I deserve the praise. We had lots teammates leave the field."

"Yeah, but so did the other side." Matt says. "You did your best and made good, non-stupid mistakes."

Soren looks ahead looking like he was pondering over something. "I'll get better." He says.

"I-I know you will." I say continuing to smile.

I wasn't paying attention so the tight hug from Edward was not expected. Especially the part where he lifted me in the air and spun me around. "Oh, sis! You did great out there!"

My blush was a deep red and I wanted to say something but I was getting dizzy and couldn't get the words out.

"Baka! Put her down!" Leonardo yells sternly at Edward.

Edward puts me down scratching the back of his head sheepishly. "Sorry. I got over excited."

I laugh regaining balance. "I-It's ok. O-Oh, and thanks. Y-You did good o-out there."

He grins. "Thanks. It was fun battling people out there!"

I look at Leonardo. "Y-You were good, too."

He blushes very faintly. This time I saw it. The other times I wasn't really sure. "Thanks." He says glancing to the side.

"Mina!" I look up. It was Ranulf waving at me. He comes over to me and hugs me. "You were good out there!"

I could feel my ears getting warm, too. "Th-Thanks."

I then see Micaiah and Sothe walk up to me. "Good job, Mina." Micaiah says. Sothe simply nods.

"Th-Thanks." I reply.

"Mina!" Rolf exclaims. "Mr. Shinon looks like he is in a really good mood! I hope he is my commander when it is my turn to go up!"

"Th-That would be nice." I say.

"Alright." Mr. Shinon calls out. "Time for the next team."

Mr. Verid looks at a piece of paper and calls out names. On one team there is Derek, Boyd, Rolf, Mist, and Ulki. On the other team there is Tormod, Sothe, Micaiah, Ike, Ranulf. Everyone else I don't know.

"G-Good luck." I say to Ranulf.

"Thanks." He says smiling. He leaves to the field.

I look at Micaiah, Sothe, and Rolf who were still standing near me. "G-Good luck to y-you guys, t-too."

"Thanks." Micaiah replies smiling. She walks onto the field with Sothe closely next to her.

"Thanks!" Rolf exclaims. He finds Mist and goes onto the field.

As they all got ready I sat down. Ike and Soren are sitting near each other talking and everyone else I know is resting. For some reason, Ilyana was near Soren eating some food. She loves her food, I suppose. I pulled out my earlier drawing of Ranulf and finish it up.

"Begin the battle!" I hear Mr. Verid call out.

_**Derek's POV:**_

Perfect. This is the perfect opportunity to fight against Ranulf. I mean, we never got to fight the first day of school because of stupid school rules and stuff. But, now, it's allowed. Well, that is if my stupid tactician let's me.

I look to the other students on the bleacher. Lots of them were talking and watching at the same time. The one I notice by herself is Mina. She is drying something. She always seems to be drawing. Why does she always draw? There was only one time I really got to see and talk to her. I quickly shake my head. Now is not the time to think about the old bruises I got. I place my hand on my chest. Or about the scar I got there.

"Begin the battle!" Mr. Verid calls out.

I look ahead. The other team was able to start first. I watch as they move forward in different spots. Ranulf was along the front lines and he had already shifted into animal form. Good, good. You will want to get ready.

It was my team's turn and already a few of them have moved. I then hear my earpiece buzz a little.

"Hey, Derek." A girl says. "I need you to move five spaces forward and one to the right." That's closer to Ranulf.

I smirk and nod. I jump in the air and fly to where I was told to move. I stay flying in place above my spot. Everyone else is moving but I don't really care what is going on. As long as I can attack Ranulf then all will be fine. Our turn soon ends. It is now their move.

_**Ranulf's POV:**_

It's my team's turn. I look to see Derek is pretty close to me. I wonder if I will be ordered to attack him. I am close enough to, I think. I had noticed something, though. He was smirking before he flew over here. I wonder… I sigh. That would be Derek for you. Looking for fights with people. I thought we settled that issue. Probably, to him, that problem was never resolved.

I notice a magic wielder with a red hair and cape defeat an axe wielder. He is pretty good with his fire magic. I'm glad he is on my team. Beast Laguz can't handle fire well. It's like how winged Laguz can't handle wind magic. Ike is near me attacking an axe wielder. He was nearly finished off. I then see Sothe run up and attack the guy twice. He leaves the field. Micaiah runs and waits behind Sothe.

"Yoh, Ranulf." A guy says to me through the earpiece. My tactician. "I need you to attack that raven laguz. He is too close to the two archers we got."

I nod. I then charge up at Derek. He sees me and smirks.

"About time I got to fight you." He says before shifting.

I jump up and scratch his side… barely. He is fast, after all. Then he swoops down. I was hardly able to dodge but he does hit me a little. I was able to attack twice. I jump up again. This time I totally miss. Then my turn is over. Derek lands on the ground and wait glaring at me with his piercing, cold eyes.

A few other people on my team fought. One had to leave. One more also left on the other side. It soon became their turn.

_**Mina's POV:**_

I had finished drawing and looked at the field. It was still at the beginning but something shocked me a lot. Ranulf and Derek were facing each other. Oh, no. How is this going to end? I hope they don't take this too far…

_**Derek's POV:**_

I was waiting for my damn tactician to let me attack again. I watch as one person from the other side leaves. Good. That's less people for me to deal with. I glance at Ranulf. That is, if he doesn't finish me. No way he is going to beat me, though. A little bit more of fighting and already another person was gone from their side.

"Derek. Attack the cat laguz." She orders.

Very quickly, I fly into the air. I then swoop down and hit him no problem. He then jumps up and hits me. He then jumps again. That also hits. Shoot. Luckily, not all of my health points are gone. I still got a few left. Sadly, so does he. This will be over soon. By next turn he will be gone.

_**Boyd's POV:**_

I watch as the lance wielder I had just defeated leaves the field. He was no problem at all! That just how strong I am! My little brother is trying to be the big guy by staying close to Mist's side. How cute. Rolf protecting her even though he can be such a cry baby. I laugh. Mist is doing pretty good with a sword. Not quite ready to be alone, though. She definitely needs help along the way.

That large raven dude is still fighting against the cat guy. I could have finished Ranulf off by now but here they are still battling. Hah! How ridiculous! Anyway… That large hawk guy is doing pretty well. He is holding up nicely. He is a boring person, though. I swear, he has no personality! Or he does and he is just too serious all the time! Can't he learn how to have fun like a REAL guy? Ugh. Oh, well. It's not like I can do anything about it.

I look ahead. Ike is still doing pretty well. He just finished off a guy on my team. I hope my tactician orders me to fight him. This is finally my chance to get back at him. I will show him that I am the stronger one and that I can beat him! I swear it!

_**Ranulf's POV:**_

It's our turn now. I just watched as Ike defeated Boyd and he looked very frustrated. I also see Ulki finish off Sothe. The red haired mage attacks him along with Micaiah. He is then finally gone off the field. I guess Sothe sacrificed himself so that Ulki would have been gotten rid of. Ike fights another person.

"Ranulf," My tactician says, "I need you to attack the raven again."

I nod. I jump at Derek. He was prepared though and was able to dodge it. He then swoops down at me. I am able to dodge him as well. I then run forward, jump, and hit him while doing a back flip. I then land on the ground again. He is still not finished. Dang it! How much longer is this going to last? To my surprise, Derek doesn't look happy either. I wonder how much HP he has left. I look at my own bracelet. I have less than half left on me. I think the next turn will show who wins and who leaves the field. After another person fights it becomes their turn.

_**Ike's POV:**_

I walk off the field. The person I fought against ended up beating me. Because of my fight with Boyd I had become weakened and therefore defeated. I look at the field. Ranulf and Derek are still going at each other. This is a very intense battle.

_**Rolf's POV:**_

Mist and I finish another person off of the field. It became from ten on ten to three on three. I don't know how this is going to end but I hope we win. This is getting really difficult. Since Derek is busy with Ranulf and Ulki had to leave I am starting to wonder how we are going to pull through.

_**Derek's POV:**_

Finally, this is it. I have the order to attack Ranulf from Mr. Shinon (since the tactician died). He looks exhausted. Just the perfect time for me to swoop down. I go high into the air. Then, with very quick speeds, I drop down. There was no way he could have dodged it. I made direct contact. Finally, all of his HP is gone.

Ranulf shifts back and looks at his bracelet. "Huh. I guess that's it." He looks up at me and… smiles? "Good job. I had fun battling you." He then leaves the field.

I watch as he slowly walks up onto the bleachers. Mina rushes up to him and hugs him tightly. From here I could see she was obviously worried about him. I look ahead shifting back. I defeated him and yet… I don't feel much after it. Sure I feel accomplished but, I don't feel as happy as I should be. I don't know what to make of that. I don't have time to think, though. It's the other team's turn.

_**Tormod's POV:**_

Crud. Ranulf is done and that leaves me and Micaiah to two freshmen and a large raven laguz. I watch as he shifts back. Huh. I guess that fight with Ranulf really weakened him. Our tactician was defeated so it's now Mr. Verid giving the orders.

"Finish the laguz off!" Mr. Verid demands very loudly into my ear.

I flinch! Geez! Does he have to be that loud? I do have an earpiece on! I walk a few spaces forward and use my fire magic. The raven laguz doesn't even make the attempt to dodge as my magic hits him. He calmly flies off the field. Huh, how strange.

Micaiah then goes and attacks Rolf close up. He is almost finished but still hanging on. It then becomes their turn.

_**Mist's POV:**_

This is scary. I don't know how we are going to do this. It's us two against pretty strong magic users. They can attack us from a distance or close up so it doesn't matter. Either way we are going to get hit back if we attack them. Oh, well. There is nothing we can really do now. It's all or nothing.

"Mist, I need you to attack the girl with silver hair." Mr. Shinon says. I nod.

I go up to her. I swing my sword and it makes contact. She then shoots some light magic at me. I dodged but not quickly enough. It hits my shoulder armor and HP goes down on my bracelet. I look at it again noticing that it doesn't turn grey. I guess I get to hit again. I swing my sword and it hits again. She wasn't prepared for my attack so I could see why she didn't dodge. She walks off the field since (somehow) I defeated her.

Rolf then goes and attacks Tormod. Tormod easily beats Rolf, though. Oh no! I'm left by myself now!

"I'm sorry, Mist!" Rolf says leaving the field.

I smile at him reassuringly. "It's ok. It's almost over, anyway." I know how this is going to end. With me loosing.

_**Tormod's POV:**_

I don't feel good about it but I attack the girl with my fire magic. She hits me but it doesn't do much to my HP. I then attack her again. She is done. I won the battle for my team! Yeah! I rub the top of her head laughing.

"You handled yourself well for a freshman!" I say smiling.

She blushes slightly. "Thank you." She replies smiling.

She then leaves the field. I look at the bleachers and see everyone clapping and cheering. I wave at them all laughing and beaming brightly. This battle is finally over! I am definitely in the mood for some food and a long nap! But first… I have to go rub this in Sothe's face!

_**Mina's POV:**_

The battle was over. Everyone was clapping and cheering. I clap along with Ranulf. We are standing like everyone else. That was really cool. Ranulf still looks tired, though. I then spot Derek walking towards us. I smile and wave at him.

"Y-You and Ranulf did r-really well." I say to him.

He just nods. Ranulf walks up to him and extends his hand out. "You did well out there. You beat me fair and square."

Derek's eyes grow wide. He doesn't move for a few seconds. Then he looks away and crosses his arms. "Whatever. This is not some sweet moment where I smile and we all act buddy-buddy. That is NOT me at all." He says coldly.

Ranulf puts his hand down and shrugs. "Eh. Perfectly fine by me. Honestly, I wasn't looking for that moment, either. It doesn't really match my style."

I look between the two confused. Does this mean they get along or are we back to where we started? Or are they mutual? Derek looks at Ranulf a few more seconds before leaving. Then I see Matt pat Ranulf on the back.

"Good job, dude!" Matt exclaims. "You really rocked out there!"

Ranulf laughs. "Yeah, yeah. Too bad I wasn't the one left standing unlike SOMEBODY here." He exaggerates.

Matt laughs. "I guess SOMEBODY just has to get stronger instead of complaining!"

Ranulf whacks Matt on the head. He goes for another hit when Matt runs away laughing hysterically. "Hey! Come back here!" Ranulf exclaims running after him also laughing.

I watch in amazement as they run around as if they were little kids. Is that how best of friends act around each other? I don't know. I'm still kind of confused. I sit down and watch the teachers talk it out. I think it's the last team they are sending out. The only people I recognize this time are Heather and Janaff and they are both on the same team. I notice how a girl with long, pretty green hair talks to Heather. I guess they are friends.

Ranulf sits down next to me panting and I look at him worried.

"D-Don't overwork yourself." I say.

"Uh-huh." He says sounding exhausted. He then rests his head on my lap. "Let me take a nap, ok?"

I blush but nod. "O-Ok." I reply.

He smiles. He then closes his eyes falling asleep immediately. The final battle begins but I don't pay attention. Instead, I gently rest my hand on his head and stroke his hair. I then smile to myself closing my eyes. Rest up well, Ranulf. I hope you have nice dreams.

* * *

**Well... What did you all think? I hope you enjoyed this chapter! This was, honestly, a lot of hard work for me to do. I hope it was worth it! I'm sure it was since you guys are all such amazing readers! It makes me so proud! ^_^ Anyway, let's go ahead and thank the reviewers that reviewed my previous chapter.**

**_Meru-64 (I hope I did ok with your OC :) )_**

**_SunLord89 (I told you he would have a bigger role! ;) )_**

**_MattyBoy91 (I hope I got your OC right again. *crossing fingers*)_**

**_barefootbean (I'm sorry my grammer is not the best but I am trying. Honest! XD I hope you liked this chapter, though. ^_^)_**

**_GamerKnight (It's ok, I have my fail moments, too. A lot actually... XD)_**

**_PINKDIAMOND4000 (I don't know why you didn't check this fanfic out before but I'm glad you are now! XD Oh, btw, I like your fanfic, too. ^_^)  
_**


	14. Chapter 14

**Hello! I'm sorry but it seriously has been TOO LONG since I have updated this story! ;_; I didn't mean to make you all, wait. Especially since I got a bunch of new reviewers! o.o Thanks so much, everyone! You make writing stories worth it for me. I get confidence every time I get reviews and nice compliments. Critiques always make me feel good, too. It's nice to hear how I can improve. ^_^ So, yeah. I didn't update earlier 'cause school is killing me and I got really excited with the new fanfic I posted "Dragons, Dragons, Dragons PROLOGUE". It's really fun to write but I also got to remember to work on this, too. ^_^' Anyway, without further ado, let's start this chapter!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fire Emblem or the characters. I only own my OCs. All of them except Reina, Matt, Verid, and Meru. These belong to chelise028, MattyBoy91, SunLord89, and Meru-64. ^_^  
**

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Chapter 14

Today is a pretty average day. Lunch is different, though. Lenna decided to kidnap me from my other friends so that leaves me sitting at her table with Mordecai, Lethe, and Lyre. I don't know where Ranulf usually is for lunch. I hear sometimes he sits here and other times he sits outside. It's not like I can check, anyway. Lenna won't let me leave. I don't have a clue why, either.

"Mina, are you alright?" Mordecai asks.

I look at him smiling. "Y-Yes."

Lenna laughs hugging me. "I kidnapped her from her usual table. That's probably why she is dozing off."

I just stare at the table still smiling. Lenna let's go of me and continues eating her food. She was nearly finished and we just got here! She eats fast!

"Lenna!" Lyre exclaims. "Are you staying after for practice today?"

"Of course!" Lenna replies happily.

Lethe sighs. "Ugh. Cheerleading."

Lyre pouts at her sister. "It's fun! Besides, it is great exercise!" she says enthusiastically.

Lethe rolls her eyes. "Whatever."

Lyre pouts again making me giggle. Mordecai is smiling to himself eating. I look around. If only I could find Ranulf. I kinda wanted to talk to him today. Since we've been practicing with the fighting time it's been hard to find alone time with him. Especially the way Lenna can get over-protective.

"Lenna." I glance behind me curiously to see Ike.

"What do you want?" Lenna asks annoyed. "Can't you see I'm eating?"

My eyes grow wide and I look at her. "L-Lenna…"

"Mrs. Titania needs you in the office." Ike continues.

I look at him confused and then back at Lenna. "Wh-What did you d-do this time?" I ask hesitantly.

To my surprise, she looked just as confused. "I don't know." She replies glancing at me quickly.

She then stands up and follows Ike out of the cafeteria. That's strange. I wonder what is going on. I look at the three of them. They look confused, too. I guess they don't know, either. Lethe soon started eating her food and so did Lyre. Mordecai was still staring at where she left as he ate. I stare at my food. I'm sure it's nothing serious. Right?

I eat my food. When lunch was over Lenna still hadn't returned. This makes me worry. Maybe I will see her later. Then she can explain what that was all about. Near the end of my class I decided to text her. Just wanting to see if she was out of the office yet. There was no reply.

After school I try calling her cell phone. No answer. This is really starting to make me worry. Wait… Maybe she just left her cell phone in the dorm room. Yeah, that could be it. She tends to forget things like that. Does she have work today? I don't think so… I know she does tomorrow, though.

I walk to the dorm and up the stairs. I stare at the door next to ours. The person that lived here decided to move a week ago. I think it was because she was going to share a dorm with someone in another dorm building. I'm surprised the room hasn't been filled, yet.

When I got to my door I hear scratching noises. I open the door to see Kisa burst out and start running. Gasping, I shut the door and run after her.

"Kisa? Come back!" I exclaim.

Someone had walked through the door so Kisa was able to slip through and out the door. Oh no! That's not good! I run out the building and continue to chase her down. She might be a kitty but she sure is quick! For a few minutes I kept chasing her. I noticed we were running through the woods near the school. What is Kisa thinking?

Finally she stops pawing at a tree. Confused, I look up. I gasp. Lenna is sitting on a high branch crying. No, wait, that's not right. She was basically bawling up there.

"L-Lenna?" I exclaim loudly enough for her to hear. I she her jump a bit when I did. "Lenna! What are you doing up there?"

"Go away! Leave me alone!" she yells down at me.

I flinch. "L-Lenna…?" I mutter. I shake my head. "Lenna!" I yell. "Tell me what's wrong!"

"Nothing! Just leave me alone!" She continues bawling.

I go up to the tree and try to climb it. I can't, though. The branch I need to reach for is too high above me. I sigh in defeat.

I look at Kisa. "Stay here. I'll be right back."

Kisa lies down looking sad. I sprint through the woods and out. I run the dorm and up the stairs until I reach the second floor. I knock on Mordecai's door. I pant like crazy as I wait for him to open up. Soon, the door opens. Mordecai looks down at me worried.

"Mina? What's wrong?"

"I-It's…" I pause to catch my breath. "It's Lenna." His eyes grow wide. "Sh-She's crying in a t-tree and I c-can't get to her. C-Can you help me?"

He nods. "Show me where she is."

I nod. I run down the stairs with him following. When we reached the woods I couldn't keep running anymore. Mordecai shifts into his tiger form making me gasp. He lies down motioning for me to climb on his back. He then runs fast making me 'eep' clinging to his fur.

Soon we reached the tree and I could see his ear twitch. I climb off his back and he shifts to his human form. He gently pets Kisa before jumping up (amazingly high) to the branch where Lenna was still hiding on.

"Lenna." I barely hear Mordecai say.

I see her gasp and look at him. She then curls against him and continues crying. I sat down by Kisa as she continued crying. I don't know how long it went for but soon I could hear sniffles. I look up just in time to see Mordecai jump down holding Lenna bridal style.

He looks at me. "Did she tell you what was wrong?"

I shake my head. "I was hoping she would tell you."

He sighs. "I wonder what is wrong with her."

I sigh as well. "I don't know. Can you carry her to our dorm room?"

He nods. I pick up Kisa and we silently walk back to the dorms. I could notice it getting darker and I was getting uncomfortable. My body was shaking slightly by the fact that it's dark. Kisa meows snapping me out of it. I look down at her and pet her head. I pause. Her ears are soft… Are all cat ears soft? It's a good distraction from the dark.

We were at the dorms and we climb the stairs. When we got to my room I unlock the door and step in. I quickly turn on a lamp light and sigh in relief. I place Kisa down while Mordecai places Lenna on her bed. Kisa jumps up the bed and curls up near her. Mordecai sits down by the bed.

He looks at me. "You don't mind if I watch over her, do you?"

I shake my head. "It's fine." I reply smiling sweetly.

He smiles back. "Thank you, Mina."

I blush. "I-It's no problem."

I pull out my cell phone and text Ranulf, _"Where are you?"_

_ "In my dorm room."_ He texts back almost right away.

I blush and hesitate as I type the next message. _"Can I stop by?"_

I pause waiting a bit anxiously. Soon, I get a response. _"Sure."_

I sigh closing my phone. I look at Mordecai. "I'll be back later, ok?"

"Ok." He replies without looking away from her.

I smile at him. He really does care about her. That's something you can't doubt. He is such a nice guy to her. I don't have to worry about anything. I exit the dorm room and shut the door softly. I then walk down the stairs to Ranulf's dorm. Timidly, I knock on the door. It quickly opens to reveal Ranulf.

He smiles down at me. "Hi, Mina." He steps to the side. "Come on in."

I step in his room. I sit down by his bed with my back leaning against it. Ranulf comes and sits next to me. He then hugs me close making me blush. I smile enjoying the warmth that he brought me. He always somehow makes me feel better no matter the situation. He doesn't even have to say anything. Just seeing him calms my world.

"Is everything ok?" Ranulf asks.

I shake my head. "Lenna disappeared during lunch. When I found her in a tree in the woods, she was bawling."

I look at him to see his eyes had grown wide. "Why?"

"I don't know." I reply shrugging. "Mordecai is with her now."

"Ah, so that's why he wasn't here when I came back." He says looking at the wall.

"I hope she's ok." I say looking at my feet. "I don't know what happened but I want her to be happy again. No one should be troubled with that much sadness."

Ranulf squeezes me tighter. "I know, Mina. I know."

Suddenly, I hear a 'beep' noise. I jump a bit. Ranulf pulls his cell phone out of his pocket and opens it. He presses a few buttons before closing it.

"Who are you texting?" I ask.

He looks at me. "Matt. He wanted to know if I wanted to hang out."

"What did you tell him?"

"No." he says smiling down at me.

My eyes widen a little. "I-I'm sorry. If you want, I can-"

He interrupts me by kissing my lips. When he pulls back I feel my cheeks are extra red.

"Relax, Mina." He replies chuckling. "You are my top priority. Besides, I'm sure he understands."

_**Matt's POV:**_

Ugh! Ranulf! What the crap, man? I sigh. I guess I shouldn't be surprised. Mina does come first for him. But, seriously. Does he ALWAYS have to be with her? Seriously, I just don't understand at all. I-

Someone bumps into me and I look down. I silently gasp seeing the girl. She has long, green hair and sparkling almond eyes. She is wearing a fancy long dress that is orange with red ribbons tied on both of her sides. With red shoes and gold earrings and head piece, she looked beautiful. She would probably look more stunning if the color of her dress wasn't orange. Seriously, not the most flattering color I've seen on a girl.

"I-I'm sorry." She stutters. "I-I wasn't paying attention."

I smile down at her. "No worries. That was kind of my bad. I wasn't paying attention, either."

I chuckle and she giggles. She sticks her hand out. "My name is Elincia."

I take her small, delicate hand into mine and softly shake it. "The name's Matt."

I couldn't help but start staring into her eyes. I swear, you can easily get lost in them.

"U-Um, you can… let go now." She says blushing.

I blink a few times before realizing what she said. I quickly let go of her hand laughing nervously.

"Sorry, I guess I get distracted too easily." I reply. She giggles blushing a deeper shade of pink. I smirk at her. "So, what's a girl like you doing outside alone?"

Her eyes grow slightly wide. "Oh! I was looking for a café. Lucia told me to meet her there but I don't remember where to go."

"I know one café." I say. "Want to go look there and see if that's it?"

She smiles up at me. "Really? Thank you!"

I blush VERY faintly scratching the back of my head. "No problem. Now, let's go find your friend."

"Ok."

We walk down the sidewalk and it was getting noticeably dark outside. It's a good thing I ran into her. It can be dangerous outside for a girl when it gets dark. Anyone could have easily grabbed or hurt her. I look down at Elincia. She looks pale and fragile. Before I realized it we were at the café. We enter together.

"Well?" I ask. "Do you see your friend?"

She looks around looking a bit worried. I hope she is here. I don't know my way around here quite yet so this is as far as I can really help her.

"Elincia!" a girl exclaims.

I look at a round table along with the green-haired girl to see a girl with long blue hair that is bright (in a good way, of course). She is wearing a lot of white, though. White sleeveless top, white skirt, and white boots.

"Lucia!" Elincia exclaims hugging her friend.

Lucia notices me. "Who's he?" she asks looking me up and down.

"O-Oh!" Elincia says quickly. She motions to me saying, "His name is Matt. He helped me find my way here."

She politely smiles at me. "Well met, Matt. Thank you for helping my friend here."

I smile back. "It was no trouble." I look between the two of them. "I better go so you guys can chat. See yah."

Just as I turn around Elincia exclaims, "Wait!" She grabs my wrist. I look at her slightly surprised. She blushes quickly pulling her hand away. "U-Um, I'm sorry! I-I just… want to… thank you properly."

I smile at her. "It's alright. It really was no trouble."

"Oh, come on." Lucia says smirking. "Afraid to hang out with two girls?"

Elincia stares at her with wide eyes. "L-Lucia?"

I smirk at her. "Nope. But… aren't you afraid to hang out with a big guy like me?"

"Not at all. Come. Join us."

I pause. "Well, you do bring up a good argument."

She smiles. "So, it's settled."

She goes ahead to the table. Elincia looks between the two of us before following behind her. I chuckle. Lucia is quite the interesting one. Well, that gives me more time to hang out with the blushing cutie.

_**Ranulf's POV:**_

My ears twitch. I think I hear Mordecai's big footsteps coming from down the hall. I look at Mina to see her staring at a spot atop my head. She then reaches up and starts petting my ear.

"H-Hey." I stutter out. "What are you-?"

I pause. Mina's eyes look really distant. Like she wasn't really paying attention to her surroundings. I have only seen that look a few times. It makes me worry about her. The door opens to reveal Mordecai. He walks in, shuts the door, and sits on his bed. Mina's hand stops moving so I look at her. She blinks a few times focusing. She then blushes a very deep shade of red and pulls her hand back.

"I-I'm sorry! I-I didn't r-realize…" She pauses looking at the ground. "You're ears are soft…" she whispers really softly.

I blink a few times before smiling down at her. I kiss the top of her head. "Of course. They are cat ears, after all."

She giggles making me smile. When she stops giggling I notice her hands are shaking slightly. I take hers in mine and hold them tightly. I could feel her surprised eyes on me but I just concentrate on her hands. It takes a minute but soon they are still.

"I-I'm sorry." she whispers.

"What's wrong?" I ask.

She laughs but it had no warmth behind it. "It's silly but… I'm scared."

"Why? Of what?"

"The dark." She laughs again. "I know I shouldn't be, but… just the thought of going out by myself… it scares me to death."

I stand up pulling her up with me. I smile at her. "You won't be alone. Come on."

We hold hands, her tiny fingers fitting perfectly between mine. We exit the dorm room and she shuts the door. It is pretty dark in the hallway. After a certain time they turn off the lights because they want us in our rooms. What time is it, anyway? Past 9, probably.

As we walked to her dorm her hand shook slightly. When I look at her she doesn't look too affected. She really does try to be brave all the time. She tries so hard it's difficult for people to tell something's wrong. I'm sure Mina does that on purpose, though. She is not exactly the type to rely on people. I noticed that a lot when it came to those girls that…

I shake my head. Now is not the time to reflect on the past. Right now, I got to focus on getting Mina to her dorm. If she sees me get sad, she's going to loose confidence. We reach her dorm and I watch her walk in. She waves at me silently telling me 'bye'. I wave back leaving.

Alright, time to get some sleep. Tomorrow is practice. I just hope Mr. Verid doesn't get too crazy on us. I sigh aloud. That is not very likely, though. I smirk. I think I just thought of something fun to do.

_**Matt's POV:**_

Walking back to the dorms I sigh. It was… interesting, to say the least. Elincia is a sweet girl. Her, Lucia, and a guy named Geoffrey moved here from Crimea. Lucia is very protective of Elincia. She was basically watching me like a hawk the entire time. Seriously, do I look like a creeper or something?

Suddenly, my phone beeps. I pull it out of my phone to see it's from Ranulf. I read it and then smirk. I text him back approving of the idea. I also suggest we grab Mr. Shinon. He texts back agreeing with me. I close the phone and place it back in my pocket.

I smirk. Tomorrow is going to be really fun.

_**(The next day)**_

_**Lenna's POV:**_

"Sh-Shouldn't you be resting?" Mina stutters out as I change.

I laugh. "Please. If I sleep anymore I'm never going to go to bed tonight. Besides, I don't want to be stuck here."

I just finished changing when she asks, "Why were you so sad yesterday? What happened?"

My eyes grow wide. Crap. I was afraid she was going to ask that question. I quickly grab my bag and put on my shoes. I look at her. I shake my head walking out the door.

"L-Lenna!" Mina exclaims. She grabs my arm. "Please! Tell me what's wrong!"

I glare at her. "Why? You never tell me anything."

Mina's eyes grow wide. Damn. That was really harsh of me. Her grip loosens so I pull my arm away. I then walk away leaving her to stand there. I walk down the stairs and out the dorm.

_**Tormod's POV:**_

I really need some breakfast. I step out of my dorm room and walk to the kitchen. In there, like usual, was Mina. Something was strange, though. She was blankly staring ahead. She seems really out of it.

"Hey, Mina." I say.

She blinks a few times before looking at me. She smiles a very faint smile. I grab some food from the fridge. I then sit at the table with her. Soon, Reina was also in the kitchen sitting at the table.

"Mina?" Reina asks. Mina looks at her. "Everything ok?" Mina nods smiling slightly. Reina looks at me and I shrug. She sighs. "Anything you need to talk about?" Mina shakes her head.

Without warning, she stands up and walks to the exit. Mina looks at us and waves before leaving. We both are silent for a few moments before Reina looks at me.

"What the heck was that about?" she asks.

"I don't know."

She glares at me. "Did you say something?"

I shake my head quickly. "No! She was like that when I got here!"

Reina nods. She stands up. "Well, I'm going to school." She smirks. "If you are late, that's your fault."

I glare at her. "Yeah, yeah."

I get up and walk out with her. Today's another day. Today's practice, too! I can't wait for that!

_**Leonardo's POV:**_

It's archery class. Mina is not very focused today. She is aiming but a few times already she has hit the very edge of the target. One didn't even make it to the target! She is not talking at all, either. What the hell happened?

I hear the bell ring. Kids leave and Mina slowly packs her things. I walk up to her and stand waiting. When she is done she smiles at me and we walk together to the cafeteria. Edward runs up, like usual, and starts chatting like the baka he is.

Mina giggles and stuff but she won't speak. Even a baka like Edward has to notice _something_ is up by now. I can't be the only one noticing her strange behavior.

We enter lunch and sit down with Micaiah and Sothe. We all chat like normal. Well, all except one, of course. Mina pulls out her notebook and draws. When lunch was nearly over she handed it to Edward. He stares at it and gasps.

"Holy crap!" he exclaims. Mina's eyes grow wide. "This is amazing!" She blushes a deep red.

"Baka, let me see." I say.

He hands it to me and I look at it. It a picture of all of us from last week. I remember because Edward was pestering her about looking at it when it was done. I guess she finally finished it. The background is nice and calm looking. The details are amazing.

"This is good." I say smiling.

She smiles back at me. I hand the notebook to Micaiah so her and Sothe could look at it.

"I like this, Mina." Micaiah says. Mina nods.

"It is nice." Sothe comments.

He takes it and hands it back to Mina. Mina then puts it away in her bag. That's when I finally realized that she had no food. She doesn't have any and she hasn't gone up to buy anything.

"Are you hungry?" I ask.

She looks at me and shakes her head.

"You sure?" Edward asks. "I don't want my sis starving."

Mina giggles nodding.

The bell rings. She quickly stands up, waves at us, and leaves. Usually she takes her time but she rushed out pretty quickly.

"Something's wrong." Micaiah states. Sothe nods.

"Did something happen to her?" Edward asks.

"Not that I know of." I reply.

"Why don't we ask her?" he asks.

"Baka." I say. He glares at me. "Haven't you noticed? She hasn't spoken a single word today."

Edward's eyes grow wide. "Yeah, but-"

"She won't." Micaiah says sadly. "She is not the type to bug others. That's just the way she is. She will hold it all in until it overflows."

_**Ranulf's POV:**_

It's practice time. Good. Now the plan can be set into motion.

"Are you ready?" I ask.

"Ready." Matt says smirking.

"Now, Mr. Shinon already has the main weapon ready. All we got to do is distract Mr. Verid."

"We're going to challenge him, right?" Matt asks.

I smirk. "Right. We get him to land on that spot. Then-"

"Bam." Matt finishes smirking.

We laugh. "Alright, let's go." I say.

Matt nods. We walk to the practice field where. I'm pretty sure Mina is hanging out with that one girl that looks like a guy. What's her name? Meru? I think that's it. I'll join up with Mina once Matt and I our finished with our thing.

"Mr. Verid." Matt says walking over to the teacher. I follow him behind.

Mr. Verid looks at us. "What do you want? Make it quick because we are going to start soon."

Matt pulls out his sword. "We want to challenge you to a fight."

Mr. Verid raises an eyebrow. He looks at me. "You, too?"

I nod. I shift into my cat form. It became quiet. I'm sure everyone is looking. Perfect. This will make this more enjoyable.

Mr. Verid smirks pulling out two swords. "You are going to regret challenging me."

Matt charges up swinging his sword. Mr. Verid jumps back. Good. I jump forward and Mr. Verid blocks my attack. Another step back. We kept going at this. Every time he was moving back a bit more. Students were cheering and clapping.

Mr. Verid puts up a good fight, though. With two swords it was even more difficult to make him move. He looks really happy fighting, though. He must get a kick out of this. He makes an attempt to attack me but I dodge easily. Matt swings at the teacher making him jump back. Finally, he landed on the target.

I shift into human form. Mr. Verid looks at me confused. Matt is smiling goofily. I can't help but smile widely, too.

"Why did you-?"

A huge thing of water suddenly hits Mr. Verid knocking him over. We look to where it is coming from. Students start laughing hysterically. Mr. Shinon is smirking next to the hose that is shooting water. He gives a thumps up to us. Matt and I high-five each other.

Mr. Shinon then turns off the water. Mr. Verid stands up silently. He glares at us making me cringe. He is SO pissed! Mr. Shinon walks over to where we are standing.

He laughs. "Did you like the surprise, Mr. Verid?" he asks smirking. Mr. Verid glares at him. "I thought it was pretty funny."

Mr. Verid opens his mouth. "You…" he mutters. "I'm going to f-ing kill you!" Mr. Verid screams charging at him.

Mr. Shinon swiftly dodges and starts running away. Mr. Verid glares at us. Matt runs and I follow behind without hesitation. As we ran around everyone was laughing. If I die… I'm sorry, Mina!

We ran for a few moments before eventually we all ran out of energy. Matt and I sat on the ground and Mr. Shinon was panting. Mr. Verid was panting as well but something was different. Suddenly, to all of our surprises, he starts bursting out laughing.

"That was good, Shinon!" he exclaims. "I'm going to have to get back at you for that!"

Mr. Shinon laughs. "And I will be ready to attack back!"

It took us a while but eventually we all calmed down. Mr. Verid took off his shirt since he was soaked. For some reason, some of the girls were blushing and giggling. Oh, boy. They sure are strange. I want to find Mina but I don't know where she is. Besides, I haven't hung out with Matt in a while.

"So," Mr. Verid says, "without any other interruptions, let's start practice."

"Let's have the magic people start out on the field, first." Mr. Shinon says. "Everyone else sit down."

I sit down with Matt. He starts talking about what happened yesterday and I listen. Apparently, he met a girl with long green hair and a friend of hers. As he talked I started worrying about Mina. I don't see her and that Meru person is on the field.

I spot Derek. Then, not too far off, is Mina. She is looking at the field. I can see Derek looking like a grump like usual. He says some things to Mina and she just nods. She doesn't seem focused, though.

"Yoh, Ranulf, did you hear what I said?" Matt asks annoyed.

I look at him. "What? Oh, yeah. I did. Sorry."

Matt sighs. "I know you are worried about her, but, seriously. She's not going to suddenly disappear or something. She is a pretty tough girl. She can manage herself just fine."

I sigh. "Yeah, I know. It's hard, though. She's nice to everyone, though. Including Derek."

Matt nods. "I guess that's a good and bad thing about her. She cares about others but they could easily use her. She doesn't seem to care about herself as much."

I glare at him. "I thought you told me to not worry about her. Now I'm _more _worried."

He laughs. "Sorry, man." He then smiles. "Seriously, though, you need to chill."

I punch is arm laughing. "Don't need to tell me twice."

_**Lenna's POV:**_

I sigh for probably the thousandth time that day. Lyre glares at me.

"Alright, that's it!" she exclaims.

I look at her surprised. "Lyre?"

"Something is _OBVIOUSLY _bothering you! Wanna tell me what it is?" she asks.

I hold in the urge to sigh. "I got mad at Mina without meaning to."

Her eyes grow wide. "At Mina? The I-don't-care-about-myself girl?"

I nod. "She didn't deserve it, either. I was just frustrated, tired, and really sad after yesterday."

Lyre looks over me. "What did happen yesterday?"

I pause. "My… grandma died."

Her eyes grow wide again. "I'm sorry to hear that! Does Mina know?"

I shake my head and laugh coldly. "That's why I was upset at her. She never tells me stuff so I'm not telling her stuff."

Lyre suddenly smacks the back of my head. I was about to speak when she points her finger at me. "You know _why_ she does that, right?"

I shake my head. She does a face-palm. "Seriously, I thought you were her best friend…"

"I am!" I exclaim. I pause. "At least… I still think I am."

It was now Lyre's turn to sigh. "She does it because she doesn't like making others worry. She really doesn't think about herself. It's like, Mina lives ONLY to think about others. Have you ever seen her be at least a little bit selfish?"

I think about it for a second. I then slowly shake my head. "She always worries about someone else…" My eyes grow wide.

Lyre raises an eyebrow resting her hands on her hips. "Now do you get it?"

I nod. "I'm such an idiot…"

Lyre smiles patting my shoulder. "Maybe you should go talk to her. Apologize. That will make her, and you, feel a lot better."

"She probably hates me, though." I say looking at the ground.

Lyre laughs. "You're kidding me, right? That girl has such a kind heart it should be a crime! She can never be mad at anyone! Not even at the girls that pushed her off the roof!"

I look at Lyre and smile. "You're right. Thanks, Lyre. You're a good friend."

She smirks. "That's what I'm here for."

"First, though," I say, "Let's get through practice. Then I will go apologize."

"Sounds like a good idea to me."

We both start laughing while walking to the gym.

_**Mina's POV:**_

It's lonely being by myself in my dorm room. Kisa is napping so I can't talk to her. I didn't want to bother Ranulf so he is somewhere else. I am sitting on my bed coloring a picture while listening to my iPod. I drew it during practice when I wasn't on the field. It's of Meru using her light magic. Seriously, she looks cool out there.

I was humming to the song 'Firework' when the door opens. I don't look up right away. I do when I notice the person is standing in front of me. It is Lenna. I flinch slightly before pausing the music. She slowly sits next to me. I place my journal and colored pencils aside.

"Mina…" she says. I stare at the ground. "I'm sorry." My eyes grow wide. "It really wasn't your fault I got mad. I was just acting like a bitch." I stare at her feeling the tears pool at my eyes. "Can you forgive me?" she asks.

With no hesitation, I hug Lenna tightly crying into her shirt. She rests her head on my shoulder and I could feel her tears. We cried for a few minutes until I felt exhausted. I sit up straight and rub my eyes. Lenna does the same thing.

"I-I'm sorry." I say. She glances at me. "You are right, I don't tell you stuff. I should, though. It's just… I'm not used to it. I never had someone to talk to before. This is… all new to me."

She nods. "Yeah, but that gave me no right to be mad at you."

I look at her hesitantly. "Why where you so sad yesterday?"

I see her gulp. She takes in a deep breath. "I learned my grandmother died."

I gasp. "I'm sorry to hear that…"

She shakes her head. "I'm ok. I'll soon get over it. I mean, she was the best. I loved her so much. It's just, I can't do anything about her. She won't come back to life. I now understand how you feel about you loosing your parents."

My eyes grow wide. "H-How did-?"

"Ranulf told me." She interrupts. "I wish you told me, though."

I nod. "I know. I'm sorry." I smile. "From now on, no more hiding things. Ok?"

Lenna giggles smiling at me. "Ok."

We do a little pinky promise giggling while doing so. I've never seen Lenna look so… vulnerable before. Or girly. But, it's good. I feel we are closer now. Like we really are sisters or something. Twins, even. I haven't talked all day but now that things are back to normal, I feel a lot better. Thanks, Lenna. For always being there even when I am being stupid.

* * *

**What did you all think? It felt kind of... interesting to write this. I have mixed feelings about this chapter. But, I'm going to leave you guys to review and tell me what you think! ^_^ Let's go ahead and let me thank the following people for reviewing:**

**_MattyBoy91 (Hope I got your OC right and thanks for always supporting me. ^^)_**

**_SunLord89 (Hope I got Verid right! He is fun to work with, btw ;) )  
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**_Meru-64 (I always love your humor and kindness. :D Your OC is fun, too.)  
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**_barefootbean (I appreciate your critiques. They always feel kind to me. ^_^)  
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**_Dark Mage Hiyasha (I'm glad you like my story and I'm glad you caught up! XD)  
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**_TheTwilightRurouni (Thanks for the review! I know, my tenses suck. I'm trying to improve, though! ^^)  
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**_Hydro Dexter (Yeah, Mist is clumsy. Glad you like the main couple! :D)  
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**_Rosepetal (I'm glad Mina is to your liking. ^^ And, yeah, Ranulf needs more attention and love along with Sothe and Micaiah. :/)  
_**

**_Lover of this (I'm glad I can get people hooked to the story. ;) I will make this fanfic go on for a long time, don't worry. It won't end anytime soon. XD)  
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**_Ike278 (I appreciate the review. I like having fun with different character's POV's. It helps me expand my horizon with the story. XD)  
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**_myrascanrall (Thanks for the review!)  
_**

**_FEfreak (I'm surprised at myself, too. Thanks to you, though, I did end up putting your idea in. XD I wanted to put it in before but the chance never seemed to come up. ^_^' Thanks for the review!)_**

***Sighs a deep sigh* Whoo! That took a lot of energy. So many people to thank this time. O_o *cries tears of joy* So many new, unique reviewers! I'm so happy to hear new voices! Of course, I will always love the ones who have stuck with me since near the beginning. Always! :D I'm just... so... happy! *continues crying* See you all in the next chapter! ^_^_  
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	15. Chapter 15

**Hi, everyone! I'm SOOO sorry this took me super long to update! I've been busy with school (SOLs), homework, working on other stories (my new fanfic, for example), and other things. I'm so happy the public pools are open, though! I can exercise and de-stress whenever I need to. Plus, I can get a good tan! XD Anyway, please enjoy this chapter (even though it is shorter than normal) o.o**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fire Emblem or the actual characters. I own all OCs except Matt, Verid, Meru, and Reina. These OCs belong to MattyBoy91, SunLord89, Meru-64, and chelise028.**

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Chapter 15

I am sitting on my bed reading a book. Lenna should be home from work, soon. Kisa seems to be impatiently waiting. The poor little kitty. Lenna always seems to be gone for so long. She works so hard. It makes me think about getting a job.

Outside, I hear puttering of feet. I put my book down and stand by Kisa. Suddenly the door slams open and I am knocked to the floor. I shut my eyes tightly.

"Owe…" I mutter.

"Mina, Mina, Mina!" Lenna exclaims over and over.

I open my eyes and look up at her. She is on top of me. She slammed into me really hard. Now I'm on the floor and it hurts.

"Wh-What?" I was able to stutter out.

"Alex and Alyssa are staying at the dorm near us!"

I look at her confused. "Who?"

She sighs annoyed and sits up. I do as well and flinch slight. My back really hurts now.

"My brother and sister!" he exclaims. "They are going to stay in this dorm building with us!"

My eyes grow wide. "Wow." I then look at her confused. "Why are they staying here?"

"My parents live far away, in Gallia. When I moved here my siblings wanted to be near me. My grandmother was nearby so they stayed with her. Now that…" Lenna takes a deep breath. "Now that she is gone, they got nowhere else to go but here." She laughs. "They are stubborn when they want something. And, well, they really want to stay here."

I smile. "Awe. That's really sweet." I pause thinking about it. "I wonder what my life would have been like if I had a sibling."

She looks at me sadly. "Oh, yeah. That's right. You don't have any."

I giggle. "Come on. No need to be sad. It should be a good thing that they are coming!"

She smiles. "You're right."

Her eyes grow wide. She then becomes a blur in the room. She starts organizing things, muttering to herself, and other things. I smile watching her. I really do wonder what it would be like if I did have a sibling. But, the thing is, I don't know my family. Mom and Dad never talked about them. I wonder why that is.

I pick up my notebook and flip to the page where Meru is using light magic. I finish coloring it. Should I show her the picture? Maybe she might like it. Everyone has been working hard with practice. I can't wait for tomorrow, though. Mr. Verid said that he had some big news for us. I wonder what it could be.

All I know is that it has always been fun and hard work at practice. I'm not on the field a lot, but when I am, I try my best! I know everyone else does, too. It makes me happy to always go to practice. Plus, it's more time with Ranulf.

Early in the morning I hear some noises. I rub my eyes while sitting up. I notice that the lamp is on. I then spot Lenna by her bed with Kisa near her. She is going through things under her bed. I can see that she is changed, too. I can't make it out, though.

"L-Lenna?" I whisper.

She turns to me and smiles sheepishly. "Sorry. I didn't mean to wake you."

I smile shaking my head. "I've never seen you up so early before. Even for school, you tend to sleep in a bit."

Lenna smiles nodding. She then looks at the ground. "I'm just getting other things ready. I feel… anxious. I don't know. I'm happy they are coming, but I also feel nervous."

"It will be alright." I say. "They are your family, after all."

She smiles. "Yeah, your right."

Seeing that she is feeling better I lie down again. I close my eyes letting my mind drift off to wonder.

_**Lenna's POV:**_

Mina lies back down and immediately falls asleep. I sigh in relief. She should sleep in for a while. It is the weekend. I should be sleeping in, too. I can't seem to though. I decide to grab a book and start reading. I am prepared for Alex and Alyssa.

_**Mina's POV:**_

"Mina."

I open my eyes slowly. The sunlight coming through the window nearly blinds me so I cover them again. When I open my eyes again, I see Ranulf standing by my bed. I smile drearily.

"Hi." I say.

He smiles. "How's the princess doing?"

I blush slightly. "Ok."

Feeling like a little kid, I reach my arms out. He chuckles hugging me close. My arms are tight around his neck. I don't feel like getting up or letting go. Ranulf picks me up and carries me out of my room. I look behind me seeing Lenna is not in there.

"What time is it?" I ask.

Ranulf looks down at me. "Nearly 10 o'clock."

My eyes slightly grow wide. "I slept in."

He nods. "I would have, too, if it wasn't for Lenna."

I look up at him confused. "What did she do?"

"She came over and made Mordecai get up. She had do go do something and wanted his company." He explains.

I smile. "That sounds like Lenna."

We are now on the second floor and he continues carrying me until we reach the kitchen. He then places me down on the ground. I hold on to his arm so I don't fall over. I feel so drained today. I don't know why, either. I sit down on a chair and Ranulf walks to the counter.

"What do you want for breakfast?" he asks.

I think for a few seconds. "Apple sauce." I reply.

He looks at me quizzically. He then smirks bowing. "As you wish, Princess."

I blush as he walks to the fridge. Why does he keep calling me a princess? I shake my head. Oh, well. He is a sweet person.

"Well, lucky for you, there are some in here." He says.

Ranulf walks back to the table and hands one to me along with a spoon.

I look at him smiling slightly. "Thanks." I notice that he has his own cup of apple sauce. "You're having some, too?"

He shrugs. "I feel like it. Plus, I can't remember the last time I've had any."

I giggle. "To be honest… me, too."

He laughs. We eat our food. I feel like I'm in a good mood this morning. I wonder how Lenna is feeling. She was so worried that she was up early. I bet Mordecai is calming her down, though. He is pretty good when it comes to taking care of Lenna.

Once we finish eating Ranulf tosses the stuff out. I stand up feeling the balance coming back to me. I still feel tired, but I think I will be fine. Ranulf picks me up bridal style and walks me back up the stairs.

"R-Ranulf." I stutter. "I'm fine, now. You don't have to carry me."

He smirks. "But, I do."

I gently hit his chest and he laughs. Once we are at my dorm he puts me down. I turn to him.

"You know what you are doing today?" I ask.

Ranulf pauses. "I don't know. I think Matt wanted to hang out today or something." Suddenly, his cell phone rings. He answers it. "Hello?" A pause. "Oh, hey, Matt. What's up?" Silence. "Really?" He rises an eyebrow smirking. "Someone got themselves a girlfriend?"

Ranulf pulls the phone away from his ear just in time.

"OH, SHUT UP!" I hear very clearly through his phone.

My eyes grow wide and Ranulf laughs. He places it against his ear again. "Man, I never knew someone could yell so loudly." Silence. "Alright, alright. I get it. I'll talk to you later, ok?" Silence. "Yeah, dude, it's cool. Bye."

He sighs hanging up his cell phone. He places it in his pocket. I slowly recompose myself. I gulp.

"What was that about?" I ask.

Ranulf looks at me. "Apparently, Matty is busy with something. He's helping a girl out."

I smile. "That's nice. Who's the girl?"

Ranulf shrugs. "He didn't say her name." He smiles. "That means my day is completely open to you."

I blush giggling. "The thing is I don't know what to do."

Ranulf hugs me making me gasp. "Let's just hang out, ok?"

I hug him back blushing more. "O-Ok." I pull away from him. "I need to get changed, though."

He smirks. "I could help you out."

I look at him disapprovingly. "Ranulf…"

He chuckles. "I'm just messing. I'll wait here, ok?"

I smile. "Ok."

I quickly get changed into a pair of black jeans and white shirt. I also put on a black vest with black converse. Fixing my hair a bit, I step out of the dorm room.

He smiles sweetly. "You look beautiful."

I blush immensely. "Th-Thanks."

Ranulf threads his fingers with mine and we both walk down the hallway.

_**Lenna's POV:**_

Mordecai and I are holding hands while walking down to the park. Alex and Alyssa told me that they would meet me there with their things. I feel so nervous. It's been a while since the last time I've seen them. I can't wait to see them, though! I love them so much!

Today I decided to wear my sky blue shirt with a wide 'V' neckline with blue jean shorts. Along with that I am wearing white tennis shoes and white-and-blue striped hoop earrings. My hair is up in a high pony-tail.

"Lenna?" I look up at Mordecai. "How are you feeling?" he asks.

I smile. "Really good. I want to see them this very second!" I exclaim excitedly.

He smiles. "We will be there soon."

I nod. In a few moments, the park was in site. Walking down, I look around. Children are playing in the park but they are not my siblings. I also see a dog run by. Good thing Kisa isn't here.

"Lenna!" I hear a boy exclaim

I look for the voice and gasp when I see a boy and girl standing next to each other with bags. Alex has green hair, matching colored ears and tail, and dark blue eyes. He still has that 'cool' face that I remember seeing. He is wearing a red button-up shirt, grey pants and jacket, black fingerless gloves, and dark brown boots.

Alyssa has short purple hair, matching colored ears and tail, and dark purple eyes. She is smiling sweetly. She is so cute! She is wearing a pink dress, a purple bow around her ankle, and white flip-flops. She was always the innocent little girl everyone loved. I remember the days when Alex and I always wanted to protect her. **(a/n: there will be a picture of both of them on my profile ^_^)**

"Alex! Alyssa!" I call out.

I let go of Mordecai's hand and run up to them. I give them both a really tight hug. I didn't realize how tight I was holding them until I could feel struggling.

"Can't… breathe…" Alex says.

I let go quickly laughing sheepishly. "I'm sorry."

Alyssa giggles smiling. "It's ok, big sis."

I blush. I miss hearing those words from her. I miss both of them so much! I stand up. Alyssa looks scared and hides behind Alex. I look behind me to see Mordecai standing near me. I laugh.

I look at Alyssa. "It's ok. He is a really nice person. No need to be scared."

She looks at him. Mordecai kneels down near her and her eyes grow wide.

Mordecai smiles. "Hello. My name is Mordecai. What is your name?"

Alyssa gulps. "A-Alyssa." She stutters.

Alex steps out of the way so that Alyssa was fully exposed.

"How old are you, Alyssa?" Mordecai asks.

She suddenly smiles brightly. "I am six!" she exclaims showing the number with her fingers. I cover my mouth so I don't laugh aloud.

Mordecai nods. "It's nice to meet you."

Alyssa nods. She hugs him tightly. "You, too." She says.

I look at Alex to see him looking at Mordecai suspiciously. Too a little kid, he must be a giant. I giggle.

"Let's head to the dorms." I say. "That way you two can unpack and settle in."

Alex shrugs. "Fine by me."

Alyssa nods. Mordecai picks her up and places her on his shoulder.

Alyssa gasps. "I can see the world from up here!" she exclaims throwing her hands in the air.

I laugh along with Mordecai. Alex picks up his bags and stands next to me. Mordecai picks up Alyssa's things and starts walking. We all move out of the park and onto the street that leads back to the dorms.

Mordecai looks at Alex. "What's your name?"

Alex stands next to him. "I'm Alex. I'm eleven years old."

Mordecai smiles. "It's nice to meet you."

"Same." Alex coolly replies.

I sigh. Alex always acts like the tough one. If you grew up with him, though, you would know that he is really a softy inside. He is very nice, polite, and cares for others. He is a really great big brother to Alyssa, too.

I remember the one time he beat up someone because they pushed Alyssa. It was a mess but afterwards we all laughed about it. I was proud of him, then. No one hurts Alyssa. Ever.

_**Mina's POV:**_

Ranulf and I were walking down a street when my cell phone rings. I answer it.

"Hello?" I ask.

"Mina!" Lenna exclaims. "Where are you?"

My eyes grow wide. She sounds really happy.

"I'm walking outside with Ranulf." I reply looking at him. He is now watching me curiously.

"Can you come back soon? I have Alex and Alyssa with me! I really want you guys to meet!" she exclaims.

I smile. "Oh, ok!" I say happily. "I'll try to be there soon."

"Ok, bye!"

"Bye." I close my cell phone putting it away.

"What's up?" Ranulf asks.

"That was Lenna." I explain. "She says that her brother and sister are with her."

He smiles. "She wants you to meet them, right?" I nod. "I'm sure she is jumping all over the place."

I laugh. "I wouldn't be surprised if she was."

He laughs. "Well, we are not that far from the dorm. She won't have to wait for too long."

"Ok."

_**Lenna's POV:**_

"Wow!" Alyssa exclaims. "This is such a large place!"

Mordecai had put her down so she is now running around. She jumps on a bed and lies back. Alex walks in calmly looking around. Kisa jumps on the same bed as Alyssa and lies by her. My little sister giggles petting the kitty. Mordecai places Alyssa's stuff down on the ground.

"Thanks for helping me." I say to Mordecai.

He smiles kissing the top of my head. "No problem."

I smile. I look at Alex to see him unpacking his things and putting them away. Alyssa looks at her stuff and then at me.

"Can you help me?" she asks.

I giggle. "Yeah."

I start unpacking her things. Mordecai also helps me out. After a few minutes of doing that, there is a knock at the door. I get up and answer it. I beam hugging the person.

"Mina!" I exclaim.

_**Mina's POV:**_

I hug Lenna back. "Hi."

She pulls me into the room. I see Mordecai moving some things and two kids. One boy with green hair and a girl with purple hair. The guy stares at me so I gulp. The girl walks over to me smiling sweetly.

"Hi!" she says.

I smile and squat down to her height. "Hi." I return.

"Are you Lenna's friend?" I nod. She smiles. "My name is Alyssa! Nice to meet you!"

I giggle. "Nice to meet you, Alyssa. My name is Mina."

Her eyes grow wide. "What a pretty name!"

I blush slightly. "Thanks."

Alyssa points to the boy. "That's my older brother, Alex."

I look at Alex and wave. He nods in return and continues unpacking his things. He's not very talkative. Well, then again, I shouldn't be one to talk.

I look at Alyssa. "Do you like your room?"

She nods. "It's big and pretty! Plus, I get to share it with Alex! And big sis will be near!" she adds the last sentence quickly looking at Lenna.

Lenna smiles before finishing unpacking what I assume is the little girl's things. She walks past me so I stand up. She is now standing in front of Ranulf.

"What's your name?" she asks.

He smiles. "Ranulf." He rubs the top of her head. "You're cute."

Alyssa smiles wider. "Thanks! Lenna says that all the time, too!"

Alex suddenly appears right in front of me. "You're a Beorc?"

My eyes grow wide. What brought up that question? I calm down, though, and answer, "Y-Yes."

He frowns slightly. "Lenna has never hung out with one before. Why you?"

"Alex!" Lenna exclaims. "That's rude!"

I shake my head. "It's fine." I look down at him. "We live in the same dorm. Plus, her and I get along really well."

"My bestie!" Lenna exclaims.

I giggle. I look at Alex again. He nods and gives a 'thumbs up'. He then walks away and unpacks the rest of his stuff. I feel a sweet drop on the side of my head. What does that mean? Does that mean I'm ok or something?

"You pass." Lenna whispers in my ear. She laughs. "He is always the protective one, that kid."

I nod. Glad to know I'm not on anyone's 'don't like' list. I sigh. Ranulf hugs me from behind. His head rests on top of mine. I close my eyes, smile, and place my hands on his arms. I drift a bit…

"Alright, lovebirds." Lenna says. I open my eyes surprised. I was dozing off for a second there. Lenna looks at her brother, Alex, smirking. "Have you been practicing?"

He pauses, then his eyes grow wide. It quickly turns into a smirk. "Of course I have."

My eyes grow wide. Practicing what? Lenna rushes out of the room. After a moment of silence she returns with a box. She places it on the ground and opens it up. Inside there is a long, curved sword.

Alex pulls a box and opens it. Inside there is another sword. Not as long, though, as Lenna's. Lenna runs out of the room with Alex right behind her. Alyssa's eyes grow wide.

"They're going to fight!" she exclaims.

She picks up Kisa and dashes out of the room to catch up with the two. Mordecai looks at Ranulf.

"Want to follow?" he asks.

I feel Ranulf's arms pull away. "Yeah. Make sure they don't make a mess of things."

Mordecai rushes up ahead. Ranulf takes my hand and pulls me out of the room. I quickly shut the door before going down the stairs and outside with him. Alyssa is standing by Mordecai and Lenna and Alex are facing each other, swords out. I stand on the other side of Mordecai with Ranulf.

"Ready?" Lenna asks seriously.

"Ready." Alex replies, just as serious.

In a flash, Alex jumps at her and swords clash. Lenna swings her sword and Alex jumps back. He attacks again and this time she jumps back landing on her hands, then jumps again to land on her feet once more. When she attacked, he did a back-flip.

My eyes grew wide in amazement. I never knew Lenna used a sword. Most Laguzes don't bother with weapons. This is all new to me. But, this is still pretty cool. It is dangerous, though. I hope no one gets too badly injured.

More swords clash, dodging, and swinging. Finally, Alex calls out while charging. Lenna charges back this time. One last 'CLASH!' of swords. Alex falls down and his sword is flying in the air. It lands point down. Lenna is pointing her weapon in Alex's face. She smirks stepping back.

"I win again." She says.

Alex grumbles. He stands up with Lenna's help and brushes the dirt off of himself. Lenna faces me.

"How was it?" she asks.

I smile. "That was exciting." I say.

"You are very skilled." Mordecai says.

Alyssa puts Kisa down and walks over to Alex. She looks up at him worriedly. He smiles rubbing the top of her head. She smiles back hugging him. I blush. Those two are such cute siblings. Lenna is lucky to have them.

"Let's go inside." Ranulf says. "I don't know about you, but watching that made me hungry."

Lenna laughs. "You're not the one that had to fight."

He shrugs. "So? I'm still hungry."

I giggle. "Let's go in, then."

"I agree with Ranulf." Mordecai says smiling.

Alyssa picks Kisa up again. "Yeah!"

She holds Alex's hands and we all go inside together and to the kitchen on Lenna and I's floor. There me and Lenna pulled some stuff together and got the drinks in order. Everyone sat at the table and enjoyed themselves. Lenna talked about many things her and her siblings did together.

She, of course, did bring up her grandmother. They were all happy memories so no one felt (or, at least, looked) sad. It was nice having everyone together. Like we were all related to each other. It's going to get a bit more exciting with Alex and Alyssa around. That is the only thing I do know for a fact.

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**So, that's it. That was pretty short for what I normally write, right? o.o I'm surprised with myself! Well, I hope it was good. I promise I will try my best to update sooner. So, let me thank my reviewers.**

_MattyBoy91_

_Hydro Dexter_

_FEfreak_

_Meru-64_

_barefootbean_

_Ike278_

_myrascanrall_

_SunLord89_

**Man, I really love it when I have all of these unique reviewers! ^_^ It makes me so happy and proud as a writer. Oh, and guess what? This story has almost reached 100 reviews! :D Please, guys, help me reach 100 before the next chapter! I know you guys can do it! XD Anyway, see you all in chapter 16 (*gasp* Already this far...) ^_^**


	16. Chapter 16

**Hi everyone! :D 100 REVIEWS! YEAH! XD Sorry for taking so long but, finally, here is the lastest chapter! It's short (shorter than usual, anyway), I know, and I'm sorry. . But, hopefully it is still good enough for you all. :D Anyway, enough with the wasting-tme-on-author's-notes business and move along! XD  
**

**Disclaimer:**** I do not own Fire Emblem or characters. I own all OCs except for Matt, Verid, Meru, Reina, and (a new one) Lance! They belong to ExposedWiresExposedVeins, SunLord89, Meru-64, chelise028, and Ike278! :D**

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Chapter 16

I open my eyes. Kisa is sitting next to me as I sit up. When I go to pet her I notice that my hand looks smaller. Is that just me? I turn to get off the bed. I gasp seeing my legs are shorter. I can't touch the floor! What in the world?

I carefully climb down my bed. I then walk to the door to find out I have to go on my tippy toes to reach it. I open the door and step out. I rush to the bathroom and somehow climb so I can look at myself in the mirror. I scream.

In the mirror is a 2 year old version of me. My curly sky blue hair is shoulder length and I am wearing a yellow night gown I used to own. I'm still in the dorm building, though, right? I'm not in my house so this isn't a flashback. Have I really turned into a child?

I climb down and exit the bathroom. Looking down the hall I see everything looks bigger now. What do I do? I return to the dorm room. Luna is still sleeping in bed.

"Mina." A child-like voice says.

Startled, I look around the room. There is no one else in the room. That's when Kisa appears in front of me. No… There's couldn't be…

"Are you ok?" Kisa asks.

I gasp. Kisa spoke? But… but… but that's not possible! Right? How could an animal talk? Kisa nudges me with her head and I pet her. Her eyes sparkle with kindness as she looks at me.

"I heard you scream. Are you ok?" she asks.

I nod hesitantly. I am not ok at all but I don't know how to explain myself to a little kitty cat. I step out into the hall with Kisa right next to me. I walk down to the stairs. I look down. It's a long way. I take my normal height for granted. I realize that as I carefully climb the stairs down.

On the third floor I hear large thumping of footsteps climbing up the stairs. Cautiously, I look to see it's Mordecai. I look at him fearfully. He is already a large person to me when I am in my normal height. Now, though… he looks like a huge giant to me! He is going to squash me like a pancake!

Kisa meows getting his attention. Mordecai looks down and sees me and Kisa. Confusion is easily read on his face. He kneels down making him look less scary.

"What are you doing here?" he asks curiously.

He wipes a tear I didn't realize was there on my eye. I open my mouth to speak but no words come out. For some reason, I can't talk. Ah, oh. This isn't good. Mordecai picks me up so I quickly grab Kisa and hug her. Mordecai stands up once more. I look down at the ground terrified. I'm so high up!

"Are you lost?" he asks me.

I look at him and shake my head. I live here, Mordecai! Come on! You have to recognize me! As this was running through my mind he walks up the stairs. It took me a while to get down but it takes him seconds to go up them.

He reaches my dorm room and knocks. "Lenna? Mina? Are you guys awake?"

No response. He opens the door and steps in. Lenna stirs in her bed. She mutters a bit before sitting up and groaning. She wipes her eyes before opening them. I look at Mordecai to see this sweet, gentle smile on his face. This close, he doesn't look too scary.

"Morning, Lenna." Mordecai says.

Lenna looks at him and smiles. "Good morning, handsome." She then spots me and stands up. "Who is that?" she asks pointing.

Mordecai looks at me. "I don't know. I found her on my way up."

Lenna looks at me curiously. She then looks at Kisa and gasps. "What were you doing out of the dorm?" she exclaims taking her from my hands.

I frown. She was my comfort to help me deal with my fear of heights. I hide my face in my hands to distract myself. I keep thinking in my head that I am not that high up. I keep trying to, that is. But the fear sets in and tears are at my eyes.

"Is she lost?" I hear Lenna asks.

"She shook her head when I asked." Mordecai replies.

I wipe my eyes looking at the both of them. Lenna looks at me for a long time before smiling. "You look a lot like my friend, Mina." She looks at my bed. "I wonder where she is, though."

I'm right here! Lenna, I look like her 'cause I AM her! Lenna extends her hands out and Mordecai hands me over to her. Lenna hugs me tight. I sigh a bit in relief. At least I am that much closer to the ground. I'm still scared, but not as bad.

"Let's go see if Ranulf knows where Mina is." Lenna says to Mordecai.

He nods. They both exit the dorm room shutting the door. Poor Kisa is being left behind. She always gets left behind. No wonder she gets all excited once either Lenna or I come home from school first.

On the second floor Mordecai opens the door to the room him and Ranulf share. All three of us step in to see Ranulf listening to music while sitting on the floor. Upon him spotting us he stands up removing the ear-buds and stopping whatever he was listening to.

"Hey you guys." He says smiling.

"Do you know where Mina is?" Lenna asks.

Ranulf frowns shaking his head. "I haven't seen her. I thought you would have."

"When I woke up she wasn't there." Lenna says.

"I didn't see her on my way up." Mordecai says.

Ranulf looks at me making me blush. "Who is this little girl?"

Lenna shrugs. "Mordecai found her in the building. We don't know who she is or where she came from."

I close my eyes. Is no one going to recognize me? Everyone will just probably think I look like my older self. No one could actually believe that someone could become younger over night.

Suddenly, Lenna moves me making me open my eyes. She is handing me over to Ranulf. I blush as he grabs me and holds me. He smiles at me kindly making me blush deeper. He chuckles.

"You are a lot like Mina." He says. "You even blush like her."

I look away feeling embarrassed. This just makes him chuckle some more. Lenna gasps.

"I'm going to be late for my early cheerleading meeting!" she exclaims. "I have to go!"

"Let me walk you." Mordecai says.

"Alright." She replies. Lenna then turns towards Ranulf. "Bye!"

"Bye, Ranulf." Mordecai says.

"Bye, you guys." Ranulf says.

Both Lenna and Mordecai step out of the room. It is quiet before he gasps.

"Hey, you guys! What am I supposed to do about the girl?" he shouts. I cover my ears at the loudness of his voice. He basically shouted right in my ears. He sighs deeply looking at me. A calm smile spreads across his face. "Those two are sneaky. Leaving me alone with you like that without me realizing it."

I sigh. I almost forgot what it was like being a kid. Everyone treated you differently then when you grow up. People talk more carefully and use small words so the kids can try to understand. They smile a lot, too. I remember the times when my parents were still alive and I was tiny. Well, I get to be tiny. Just without my parents…

"Let's go get some food." Ranulf says interrupting my thoughts.

I look at him and nod. He smiles making his mismatched colored eyes sparkle. I hold my breath looking at them. He carries me out of his room and to the kitchen. He then places me on the counter and opens a cabinet.

"Do you want cereal?" he asks. I shake my head. He looks into the fridge. "Milk?" I shake my head. After a bit more of looking he finally says, "Do you want applesauce?" I perk up hearing the word and smile. Ranulf chuckles. "Looks like we found a winner."

He grabs two cups of applesauce and spoons. He places them on the kitchen table. He then picks me up and places me on his lap once he sits down. I take a spoon and start eating the food. I smile liking the food.

"Man, you really are like Mina." He says.

I look at him. I open my mouth to say something but nothing comes out. Ah, man. I really wish I could talk.

"What is it?" he asks.

I close my mouth and shake my head. I sigh in defeat before continuing to eat the applesauce. Soon both Ranulf and I finish up. He picks me up and carries me back to the dorm room. He places me on his bed. He packs a few things into his bag. He looks me over.

"I can't leave you behind, can I?" he asks. I shake my head making him laugh. "I thought so."

He picks me up and carries me out of the room. We walk down the stairs until we are outside. He carries me across the road. Ranulf then puts me down. I spot Derek and Reina talking by the entrance. I quickly make my way over there.

I hear them arguing about something until I touch Reina's leg. She looks down at me and smiles. She picks me up.

"Awe! You are so cute!" she exclaims hugging me.

"Ack!" I hear Ranulf say from behind. Reina and I both look to see him looking at me angrily. "Don't run off like that!"

I watch as Reina's eyes grow wide. "Oh… my… Goddess…" she says. "It happened."

Ranulf takes me back from her. "What?"

"You got Mina pregnant and that's your kid!" she exclaims pointing at us accusingly.

Derek starts coughing. My entire face becomes red along with Ranulf. "No!" he exclaims. "It's nothing like that! This isn't my kid or hers!"

Reina places a hand on her chest sighing with relief. "Thank the Goddess."

Derek calms down and we slowly relax.

"Why would you think that, anyway?" Ranulf asks.

She points at me. "The kid looks amazingly A LOT like Mina. What else am I supposed to think?"

Ranulf shakes his head. "Mina and I haven't gone that far."

Reina raises an eyebrow. "Really? Well, you might not be able to say that for long."

My face becomes entirely red again. Why am I here to hear all this? I want to hide somewhere so badly right now! Ah! I don't want to think about it! AHHH!

"Reina!" Derek snaps. She looks at him surprised. "You need to learn when to shut up. There is a fu-… There is a kid right here." He says motioning at me.

She shrugs. "She is still too young to understand anything yet."

I beg to differ, Reina. I really beg to differ. I take a few deep breathes.

"Alright, we better go." Ranulf says hugging me a bit closer.

"Oh, okay. Bye." Reina says.

Derek simply nods. Ranulf continues carrying me through the school grounds. A bunch of other students stare at us so I hide my face in Ranulf's shoulder. This goes on for a few minutes until Ranulf stops.

I look up to see that we are at the archery class. Ranulf walks up to Mr. Shinon who is setting up the targets and other things.

"Hey, Mr. Shinon?" Ranulf asks.

I see Mr. Shinon flinch. I look at him curiously. Is something wrong with him? Mr. Shinon turns around. My eyes grow wide and I cover my mouth. On his face are large amounts of make-up. He looks like a clown! Ranulf bursts out laughing making me cover my ears.

"Thinking of joining the circus, Mr. Shinon?" Ranulf asks after slightly calming down.

Mr. Shinon glares at him. "Ha, ha. Very funny. Someone, who I shall not name, put this crap on my face and it won't come off. I'll make sure to get back at him later, though…"

Shivers run up my spine as I feel dark energy around him. He is clearly pissed off. He won't be in a good mood at all. At least until the make-up comes off. Or maybe when he takes revenge on the person responsible for it. I think I know who did it, too.

"Anyway…" Ranulf says taking deep breaths. "Have you seen Mina?"

Mr. Shinon shakes his head. "She shouldn't be here for another five minutes or so." He looks at me. He then glares at Ranulf. "I can't believe you. At this age getting a girl pregnant. This is what happens when-."

"Oh my Goddess!" Ranulf exclaims. "I did NOT get Mina pregnant! This isn't my kid or hers!"

Mr. Shinon eyes me over. "If you say so…" He shakes his head. "It's scary how she looks a lot like her, though, don't you think?"

Ranulf sighs. "Yeah, it kinda is." He looks at me and smiles. "She is cute, though."

I blush slightly smiling.

Mr. Shinon says, "Cute doesn't equal easy. What are you going to do with her?"

Ranulf pauses. "I don't know. I should look for the kid's parents, though."

Mr. Shinon nods. "That would be the wise decision."

"Alright." Ranulf smirks. "Bye, Mr. Clown."

I could feel daggers on our backs as Ranulf laughed and walked away. We walk around near the entrance until Ranulf gets knocked over. He clutches me tightly and I close my eyes. I feel the landing as Ranulf's back makes contact with the ground.

I open my eyes to see a ceiling. I sit up quickly looking around. I am in my dorm room again. I remove the sheets off me quickly. I sigh with relief. I am normal height again. I am wearing my pink pants and grey t-shirt PJs.

I stand up and look down to see Kisa staring up at me. I pick her up. I look cautiously at her for a few minutes. Finally, she meows. I sigh with relief once more. Kisa hasn't suddenly changed into a talking baby tiger. I stroke her black-and-white fur happily.

"I had the weirdest dream." I whisper to her. "Somehow I turned into a little kid."

I look at Lenna's bed to see she is not there. I place Kisa down and look for a clock. I gasp. I am going to be late if I don't hurry! I quickly change into a pair of jeans and a t-shirt and grab my bag. Why didn't Lenna wake me up? Usually she is good at that if somehow she wakes up before me! Ack! I'm going to be late!

I slip on a pair of sandals and run out the door. I sprint down the stairs and outside the dorm. I cross the road and sprint down the path that leads to the archery class. As I make my way I hear hysterical laughter.

When I arrive I see the class laughing at Mr. Shinon. I gasp seeing that he still has that make-up on his face. He glares at all of his students looking clearly pissed off. Again, I feel the dark energies surrounding him and shivers run up my spine. Soon, all the other students started quieting down.

"Shut up!" he yells at them. That's when they go completely silent. "If I don't see you practicing in five seconds I am going to fail you for the day!"

They all rush to targets and start shooting. I jog up to Mr. Shinon out of breath. He glares at me.

"I-I'm sorry I'm late." I say catching my breath. I pause for a second. "Mr. Verid did that, right?" I ask pointing at the make-up.

He nods, more darkness emanating from him. "I will forgive your lateness if you go practice this very second." He says a bit less harsh than earlier.

I nod quickly rushing to my usual target. Leonardo is next to me, of course, shooting perfectly. I get my bow and arrow ready to aim. Carefully, I let go letting it fly through the air. It is close to the bull's eye but not quite.

It is now after school and we are at the open field to train like usual. Before we do, though, Mr. Verid makes an announcement.

"Two weeks from now we are going to have our first challenge." Everyone cheers. I smile looking at Ranulf. He smiles down at me as well. "Everyone listen, please." Mr. Verid says. I look back at him. "It's going to be an away challenge so we are going to miss school and board the train to get there. Make sure all of you have money to board and have all of your things with you. Mr. Shinon and I will hand out flyers with the info before you all leave today."

I look up at Ranulf smiling. "Isn't this exciting? Our first actual challenge!"

He nods. "Two bad it's two weeks away."

"That's true but I think it will still be fun. We all get to travel and fight together. Plus, I really like taking the train."

He chuckles. "I like taking the train when I get to ride with someone I care for."

I blush. Ranulf takes my hand squeezing it gently. I smile.

"Alright, we are going to split up into teams like usual." Mr. Shinon announces. "Today, though, there will be groups of five."

I notice the make-up is wearing off a bit. I'm sure it will come off soon. For now, though, he is stuck with it; and still clearly pissed off at Mr. Verid.

"On my team there will be Ranulf, Matt, Tormod, Derek, and Soren." Mr. Verid calls out.

"And on mine there will be Reina, Sothe, Mordecai, Leonardo, and Edward." Mr. Shinon calls out.

I smile up at Ranulf. "Have fun."

He pecks my forehead. "I'll try."

I let go of his head and followed the crowd to the seating area. As I watch Ranulf's team put on the armor I notice something strange. They start scratching themselves. No, not the kind where you have a bug bite on your arm. It's the kind where you are scratching everywhere! What's going on?

Mr. Verid laughs hysterically rolling on the ground. My eyes widen. He must be the one behind it. I can see the members of the team glaring at him with deadly eyes. I stand up and lean against the railing. Mr. Verid is crazy, I think.

"Does this normally happen?" someone asks from next to me.

I turn to see a guy with blond hair. It's bright along with his blue eyes as he looks over at me. He is wearing a red hoodie along with a regular pair of jeans. His black and blue shoes seem large compared to my tiny feet.

"What?" I ask.

He points at Mr. Verid's team. "The itchy armor."

I giggle shaking my head. "No, no. Mr. Verid just likes pranking people." I look at the blond guy once more. "Are you new?"

He smiles nodding. "Just moved in over the weekend. My dad got a job around here so… yeah."

I nod. "Well, welcome." I say smiling.

"Thanks." He extends his hand out to me. "Lance."

I take his hand and shake it. "Mina." We then let go. "Are you joining the team?" I ask.

Lance looks at the field. "I'm thinking about it. It would be nice since I like using an axe."

My eyes widen. "Those things are heavy, aren't they?"

He shrugs. "Yeah, but other weapons are heavy, too."

I look to the field. The people that were itching where chasing Mr. Verid around angrily. Some of them have weapons on them. That's when suddenly Mr. Verid turns around wielding his own sword. Two of them, to be exact. He starts fighting back. Mr. Shinon runs over to stop the fighting.

"I'm sorry, Lance." I say quickly. "I have to make sure Ranulf is ok."

Before he says anything I run away from the bleachers and towards the group. I see Ranulf still scratching himself but not too badly hurt. I thought Mr. Verid was going to go on a rampage with his weapons. I'm glad he didn't though.

"Ranulf!" I exclaim.

He turns to me. I stop in front of him. He looks so uncomfortable even with the armor off. The stupid itching powder.

"I would ask if you were ok but… I don't think that needs to be asked." I say smiling slightly.

He tries smiling but the itching is too much. "I'm going to take a shower to wash this off."

I nod. "You better hurry."

Ranulf nods before running off. Soon, the others do the same. While they were gone Mr. Verid was forced to clean off the armor which he put itching powder in. Once that was done they called on a new group to do the fighting. They hesitantly put on the armor and were happy to find out that the powder really was gone.

Ranulf returns with the others. He sits next to me. I look at him to see his hair is still a little bit damp. I rub his head feeling the softness of his hair. I quickly feel his ears making them twitch. I giggle. He takes my hands off of them and holds them in front of his face. He then kisses my hands before kissing my lips.

"H-How are you feeling?" I ask.

Ranulf smiles. "Much better, princess."

I blush making him chuckle. Our foreheads touch.

Practice is over and we are walking back to the dorms. Suddenly Lyre and another Laguz I don't know runs up to us looking angry. I see Ranulf grumble.

"Not Lyre and Kyza." He says under his breath.

"Who do you think is better?" they both ask standing right in front of us.

"In what?" Ranulf asks.

"Being the dominant one in the relationship!" they both yell.

I cover my mouth surprised. Ranulf laughs. "What the hell?" he asks.

"I'm saying that since I'm the male I should be responsible for everything." The one named Kyza says.

"And I'm saying that I am not a little, helpless girl that needs to be taken cared of all the time. I can stand on my own two feet!" Lyre exclaims.

Ranulf looks between the two unsure what to do. He looks down at me. "Well, I mean, I'm more of the outgoing one." He says. I nod in agreement.

"Ha!" Kyza exclaims. He smiles a triumphant one at Lyre. "See? Perfect example."

Lyre crosses her arms. "I'm not like Mina, though."

"Well," I say, "every couple is different and unique." They both look at me. "Some people prefer tradition; others have the girl a bit more independent." Lyre smirks. "But, it really depends on the people." The smirk vanishes. "You guys should talk it out."

"Talk…" Lyre says.

"It out?" Kyza finishes.

I nod. Ranulf adds in, "Yeah. No yelling or fighting. Just talk."

They look at each other. Lyre blushes looking away. "Fine."

Kyza blushes taking her hand. "Let's go, then." He looks at me. "Thank you."

I smile. "Anytime."

They walk away calmly talking. "Wow…" Ranulf says.

I look at him confused. "What?"

He looks at me. "I've never been able to calm them down as quickly as you have." I blush. "That was really cool what you said."

I smile. "I guess. I don't like seeing couples fighting so I want to help however I can."

He chuckles. "I'm glad we never fight."

I giggle. "Yeah." I shrug. "But one day, who knows? We might fight over something really silly."

He hugs me close. "If it's ever my fault, which it will most likely be, I just hope you can forgive me quickly."

I giggle once more. "Of course. If it's my fault, I hope you to forgive me quickly, too."

"Well…" Ranulf draws out. I punch his chest playfully. He laughs. "I'm just kidding. Of course I would."

We smile, close to each other, walking home. Today was a good day. I wonder if I should tell him about my dream. I blush slightly. Maybe some other time.

* * *

**So... how was the chapter? Was it worth the wait? Well, you guys can let me know by leaving a review! :D Speaking of reviews, let me thank the following people who I care for a lot. XD**

**_Meru-64 (I'm sorry your character didn't show up! . Next chapter! :D)_**

**_barefootbean (Hope this is good [even though it's short] ^_^)_**

**_SunLord89 (Thanks for reading over Verid's scenes and double checking me. :) )_**

**_ExposedWiresExposedVeins (I know you are busy but I hope you like the chapter! :D)_**

**_Ike278 (I hope the OC turned out alright! :D)_**

**_Hydro Dexter (Like I said to others, I hope you like this chapter! XD Oh! And thanks for helping me reach 100 reviews! X) )_**

**That's it. Hope to see you all in the next installment of RDHS! :D Oh, and if you have yet to check out Dragons, Dragons, Dragons (or the prologue) I would appreciate it if you guys would give it a read. ^_^ Anyway... sayonara (until next time)! ^_^**


	17. Chapter 17

**Hi, everyone! I can't believe I did it! I finally got this dang chapter done! *cries happily cheering**jumps around the room* It has been WAY too long since I've last updated! I am so sorry! *bows* My life has been hectic with school, my computer crashing, the laptop crashing, and being reduced to one computer. Plus I update Dragons, Dragons, Dragons ever Saturday so I have to make sure the chapter gets done before I can work on this. I assure you more time will be dedicated to this once DDD is done! For now, though, please bear with me! ^^'**

**Disclaimer: ****I do not own Fire Emblem or the characters. I just own my OCs. Well, all except for Matt, Verid, Meru, Reina, Lance, and two new ones! :D Matthew and Deserta! *claps* All of these OCs beling to ExposedWiresExposedVeins, SunLord89, Meru-64, chelise028, Ike278, SuperNova23, and AliasMidnight!**

**NOTE:**** I apologize to Leafygirl213 for not finding room for your OCs. They will definitely be in the next chapter and I will make sure to introduce them properly. ^^**

* * *

Chapter 17:

Two weeks of normalcy pass by. It is now Friday morning and Lenna and I have packed our things for the trip to Daein. It should take about an all day trip on the train to get there so that's why we are leaving today. The actually fighting challenge is tomorrow. We return home on Sunday. It will be good to miss class since I get to travel and still be with my friends. It's amazing how large our fighting group is.

Lenna enters the room after taking her shower. She is wearing jeans along with a blue, long sleeved shirt and a black spaghetti strap top over it. As she dries her hair she grabs a few last minute things for on the ride such as her iPod, DS, and cell phone. I dig through my trunk and pull out black jeans, a long sleeved, green shirt and my white sweatshirt. For some reason I feel really cold today. Lenna doesn't seem cold so there must be something wrong with me. Oh, well. It's probably not a big deal.

When Lenna is done we both grab our bags and shut the door to our room closed. Kisa follows us to the dorm next door where Alex and Alyssa are. Alex is playing on his DS while Alyssa is coloring in a page with a picture of a butterfly on it. Since Lenna has to talk to Alex about Kisa, I go and sit by Alyssa.

"Hi." I say smiling.

"Hi." She greets without taking her eyes off the page.

"That's some nice coloring." I compliment.

She smiles glancing at me slightly. "Thanks."

Alyssa continues coloring the butterfly. It is nearly done and it reminds me of a butterfly that flies through a rainbow. Very cute and pretty. I pull out my camera and quickly take a picture of her without her noticing. I put the camera away. I spot a blank sheet of paper and grab it. I pick up a pencil and start drawing a picture of flower floating in a pool of water. When it is finished I look up and just notice the fact that Alyssa has been staring at my picture intently. She looks up at me and smiles brightly.

"That's so pretty!" she exclaims.

I slightly blush smiling. "Thank you."

She hands me her box of color pencils. "Color it! That way it is _super _pretty!" I giggle at her excitement.

"Sorry, sweetie." Lenna says. I look up at her. "We have to get going for our trip."

I look back at Alyssa to see her pouting. "Okay..." She says sadly.

I place my hand on the top of her head. "I'll color it while I'm gone. When I get back I'll show it to you, alright?"

She smiles brightly once more. "Okay!" she exclaims.

I giggle once more. I pick up the drawing and stand up. "Bye." I say to her.

"Bye." She returns.

Lenna pecks Alyssa on the forehead. I wave at Alex and he simply nods. I smile. He might not like me but I do hope he at least gets used to me. Lenna and I grab our things and leave their dorm room leaving Kisa behind. At least she won't be lonely while we are gone. We walk down the stairs together and exit the building. That's when Lenna starts up her usual busy chatting. I smile and listen like normal. I feel really nervous about tomorrow but for now I just want to stay calm and be happy.

_**Ranulf's POV:**_

"Have you seen them?" Mordecai asks me.

I look at him and shake my head. I then look back at the stairs where we entered just a few minutes ago. Basically everyone from the fighting team including the teachers are here and are now just waiting for the train to arrive. It's not too far away, either. I wonder where the girls are. I hope they arrive soon. That would be bad if they missed the train. Plus, I haven't had much time to talk to Mina recently. I really want to sit next to her during the trip.

Just as I was thinking that, I spot Lenna and Mina walking down the stairs. They spot us and smile. I hear Mordecai sigh with relief as he walks over towards them. I slowly make my way over. Lenna and Mordecai are talking while Mina is standing there listening. She glances at me and her cheeks turn pink.

"Hi, there." I say to her.

"Hello." She replies smiling.

"You guys were cutting it close."

Mina sighs. "Lenna took a bit to clean up and get her things together." She explains. "Then we had to talk to her siblings about watching Kisa."

I nod understanding. I've noticed that Lenna is not the fastest girl in the world. At least, that's what I've learned from what Mordecai has told me about their dates and such. When it comes to school she doesn't seem to care whether she arrives late to certain classes or not probably 'cause she doesn't like them.

I then notice that Mina looks very pale. I look over her with concern. "Are you feeling okay?" I ask.

She looks at me confused before nodding slightly. I want to ask more but that's when the train arrives. A few people exit and then a bunch of the students start boarding. I hold onto Mina's hand making sure we stay together. Eventually the two of us make it on without too much trouble. To our luck, there were two seats open right next to each other. One of them is by the window. I look at Mina to see her eyes sparkle. I smile holding in my laugh. She is just too cute.

On top of the seats are racks where you can place your bags on. Mina pushes her bags on but can't fully place the bag up without going on her tippy toes. I stand behind her and push the bag up for her. She tilts her head up to look at me and blushes.

"Th-Thank you." Mina says quietly.

I smile. "I'll help you with the other bag, too."

She nods handing it to me. I take it and place it up. She goes ahead and sits down in the seat by the window and looks outside. I put my bags up and sit by her in the seat. The train starts moving. As we leave the station it suddenly opens up so we can now see the sun and the outdoors. Glancing at Mina my breath gets caught in my throat.

The sun shows off Mina's hair with its beautiful, natural shine and her skin looks white like a porcelain doll. Her midnight blue eyes really seem to pop at the brightness of the day. I couldn't help but rest the palm of my hand on her cheek. She turns to me looking dazed but curious. I lean in and kiss her deeply on the lips.

I pull back to see Mina's cheeks are colored a light pink. However, instead of the wide surprised eyes I get a gentle smile. My heart is fluttering. She rests her head against me and I hug her close.

"I love you." I hear her whisper faintly.

My heart skips a beat. If she acts any more adorable I'm going to die of happiness. I kiss the top of her head smirking.

"I love you, too." I whisper back.

I feel Mina's body relax and her breathing slows down lightly. She must be falling asleep. Feeling myself grow tired I rest my head against hers closing my eyes.

_**Matt's POV:**_

I pull up my leg against my chest and press my forehead on my knee. It's weird watching a cool guy like Ranulf acting all lovey-dovey when it comes to his girlfriend. Those two can't seem to stay away from each other.

"Are you alright?" Elincia asks from next to me.

I rest my chin on my knee and look at her. I smile slightly. "Yeah, I'm fine. Ranulf is acting like an idiot, though."

Elincia looks over at Ranulf and Mina. After a moment she giggles. "I think they are so cute together." She says. She then looks at her lap. "It's nice how much they love each other."

I shrug looking back at Ranulf. They are both asleep and he is still holding her. I look over at Elincia. Her cheeks are a light shade of pink and her eyes seem to be staring at a distant place.

"Do you like someone?" I bluntly ask.

Elincia looks at me with wide eyes and her cheeks have gone red. "H-Huh? W-Well, I mean…" She looks at her lap clasping her hands together. "K-Kind of." She presses her lips together.

I tilt my head to the side. "Do I know the guy?" I ask.

She hesitantly nods. This gets me interested.

"Who is it?" I ask.

She glances at me with wide eyes and shakes her head. "I-I'm not t-telling!" she exclaims.

She looks more and more embarrassed by the second. I stare at her for a few seconds while she looks back at her lap keeping her lips pressed together. I wonder… I shake my head looking forward.

"It's fine." I say without looking at her. "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to." I glance at Elincia to see she is smiling. I smirk. "I'll figure it out, though."

Her eyes widen in horror. This makes laugh. Oh Goddess, how I love messing with her.

_**Lenna's POV:**_

I'm sitting at my seat with my back to the window. Mordecai is sitting by me. I feel myself dozing off. Suddenly, a familiar lightly tanned girl sits on the other side of me. I turn towards her.

"Hey, Deserta." I say smiling slightly.

She is a wolf laguz. I've seen her change once and her fur has a very cool color of ash brown. In her human form, her hair is dark brown and shoulder length. Her left eye shines a gentle bubble-gum blue while her right eye shines a bright sunny yellow. She is wearing a bluish-grey cropped tank top with a white tank top underneath. I can see the white lightning bolt pendant with blue outlines on top of the shirt. She is also wearing a light grey skirt with a slit on the side with brown knee-length leggings. Finally, to complete her look, she is wearing Neon blue and green high tops.

"Hey, Lenna." Deserta replies with a small smirk on her face.

"How's life?" I ask.

"The usual." She replies shrugging. "You?"

"Tired." I reply leaning my head against the window.

At that moment I feel Mordecai's fingers brush against my hand. I gently take his hand not looking at him. I notice Deserta's eyes gazing over to somewhere else. She pauses for a few moments before turning back to me.

"Those two are comfortable, huh?" she asks pointing.

Confused, I follow her gaze. I then see not too far away is Mina leaning against Ranulf sleeping. I wish I could fall asleep so easily. Last night I couldn't get much sleep so I stayed up all night on the laptop. I could really use a long nap but no matter what I do I can't fall asleep.

I smile. "Yeah, they do."

I look over at Mordecai. He looks kind of tired, too. My heart flutters. He looks so cute when he is tired. He looks down at me and smiles slightly. He probably wants to fall asleep, too. I glance back at Deserta.

"You said that there was a mage you didn't like, right?" I ask.

Her eyes widen nodding a lot. "Yeah! This kid named Matthew is apparently frickin' genius so he skipped!" She crosses her arms. "He's in our grade but in my opinion he acts like we are all bugs or something. I don't know what his deal is."

I look at her with curiosity. "He skipped?" I ask. She nods. "Is he on the fighting team?"

She nods again. She looks around the train but pouts in frustration. "He's not around here but if I see him I'll point him out to you." Deserta looks back at me. "Honestly, he isn't bad looking. He is kind of cute. I don't like his personality, however." She sighs. "Such a cute face wasted on a kid like him."

I raise my eyebrow at Deserta. She sure is being blunt about the kid. I smirk thinking of something. If Mina was here I'm sure she would want to talk to him. Probably defend him, too. She is just that type of person. She is nice to everyone and wants to help however she can. Sometimes I think her kindness is wasted on some bad people (*cough* Jessica *cough*). It's what makes her so sweet an innocent, though. It's just who Mina is.

Deserta looks at me confused. "What are you smirking about?"

I shake my head slightly. "Just thinking about someone."

_**Mina's POV:**_

I wake up with a jolt. I sneeze into my elbow.

"Is someone talking about you?" Ranulf asks.

I look at him blushing slightly. I'm still comfortably leaning against him with his arm protectively around me. I smile slightly.

"Maybe." I look at him with confusion. "Did I fall asleep?"

He nods. "I did for a little bit, too."

I smile again. "As long as we don't miss our stop we're good, right?"

He chuckles. "That would be bad if we missed it."

I look around. Everyone from the team is still on the train. That's good. We didn't miss our stop. I relax feeling a little bit dazed. I look over at Ranulf. He is looking at something behind us but I don't know what it is. He has an amused smirk on his face.

"What is it?" I ask.

He looks at me still wearing the smirk. "Matt is talking to a girl. I'm thinking it's a future couple."

Curious, I look behind us. Ranulf is right. Matt is talking to a girl. She is really pretty with long green hair. She seems very kind and sweet. I wonder what they are talking about. I turn back to face the front and sigh. How much longer will it take to get to Daein?

"How much longer?" I ask.

"Half an hour, I think." Ranulf replies. "We are close to the border."

I look out the window. The woods seem a bit thicker around this area. Wherever we are it seems peaceful.

To pass the time Ranulf and I talk about random things. How school went for us during the week, a few funny stories to share of what other students did (mine were mainly around Edward since he is that type of person), and anything else we could think of.

Time flies by but eventually we do make it to the stop in Daein. As I step off of the train with Ranulf close to me my eyes widen. I clutch my bag tightly. For some reason I am picking up vibes of unfriendliness. Everyone seems too busy to really look at one other or even smile. I feel Ranulf's hand gently take mine and I grip his hand.

"Everybody stay together!" I hear Mr. Verid's voice call out.

"We are not responsible if you get yourself lost!" Mr. Shinon yells out harshly.

The teachers move forward first and all of us follow like a large mass of bees all moving together almost as one. It is cool but a bit intimidating at the same time. I make sure to stay close to Ranulf as we move. I have no clue where Lenna or Mordecai are within this crowd. I hope they are together somewhere close and not having too much trouble. I'm glad Ranulf is with me, though. His warm hand is sending the chills of my hands away melting my uneasiness.

**_(Later)_**

"Oh my goodness!" Lenna exclaims.

I step into the room we are staying at in this hotel and gasp. There are two large beds in the room and the floor is light brown wood. Against the wall there is a TV on a black table. A large window is against another wall. The walls are a gentle white and the curtains are wide open making the room very bright and welcoming.

Lenna takes the bed closest to the door so I take the one by the window. This makes me happy. I place my bags on the bed open the window to let some air in. We both put our toiletries in the bathroom with white tile floorings and a simple shower/bathtub against the wall. Our cabinets had mirrors on the doors so we could see our reflection clearly. A small window was there with open white shutters.

"Lots of white." Lenna comments.

I shrug. "Makes the room bright."

"It could use more color." She says. She returns to the room. "At least the bed sheets are a mix of colors."

I return to the room to see that what she says is true. The blankets are a mix of red, dark blue, tan, and brown. The pillows are white and don't show a single sign of wrinkles on them. I unpack my things and organize slightly. Lenna just lies down on the bed with a heavy sigh and closes her eyes.

"I'm so tired!" she whines.

I look at her. "Then sleep."

"That's what I'm planning on doing." She says still keeping her eyes shut. "As long as no one bugs us."

As if on cue someone knocks at the door. Lenna groans.

I giggle. "I got it."

I walk over to the door and answer it. Behind the door is Soren. He is holding a book along with bunch of sheets of paper.

"Hello." He says.

"Hi." I return. "Is there something you need?"

He takes a sheet of paper and hands it to me. "This is the information about tomorrow along with rules for while you are staying here."

I take it in my hands and glance it over. I look at him and smile. "Thank you."

He nods before leaving. I shut the door and walk back into the room.

"Who was it?" Lenna asks.

"Soren." I reply. "He handed us a paper with rules and other information on it."

"Oh." Is all Lenna says.

She dozes off. I place the paper on her nightstand. I'll look over it later. Right now I am growing tired myself. I pull out my notebook and coloring pencils and lie on the bed with my back against the backboard. I open to the page with the flower which I drew this morning. I start coloring it with pinks, greens, and blues. I hope to get this done before we head back home so I can give it to Alyssa. I'm sure she will be happy.

**_(Much later)_**

"Do you hear that?" Lenna asks.

I turn to her. I was nearly finished with the drawing and quite some time has passed. I can tell since the sun is nearly done setting. I stop and listen to what she could be hearing. That's when I hear a few 'thumps' and some heavy laughter. I wonder what's going on.

"Yeah." I reply.

"Let's go check it out!" she suddenly exclaims. My eyes widen looking at her. "It can be fun." She says smiling.

I smile. "You're bored, aren't you?"

"Absolutely."

This makes me giggle. "Okay."

We both exit the room and locate the elevator. Lenna is feeling impatient, however, so we take the stairs. We reach the floor above when someone opens the door to the stairs. It opens wide to reveal a kid who I am guessing is around 14 years old. He has short, messy blond hair and is wearing a white golf shirt along with a pair of jeans. He is holding what looks like a tome. From the color I am guessing it is a thunder one.

The kid looks at the both of us looking annoyed. My eyes grow slightly wide. Right away I'm thinking that it is my fault for his mood. I hear another bang that is loud and much closer. The kid glares at the direction of the noise. He then turns back to us. Lenna has already made it to the door but for some reason my feet stopped working.

"A bunch of guys are having _fun_." The kid explains. "Go down the hall and turn right. Should be the first door to the left."

I nod. "Th-Thank you." I stutter out.

Lenna grabs my arm. "Come on, already!" she says impatiently.

She pulls me. I make one last glance at the kid before going through the door. We reach the room that he was talking about. Lenna opens the door. A pillow flies right in front of us zooming across the room. We gasp. The guys… are having a pillow fight?

"Mina! Lenna!" Ranulf calls. "Over here!"

I shut the door and jog across the room. I dodge just in time for another pillow to fly above my head. I continue until I reach Ranulf and he hugs me.

"What's going on?" I ask when we part.

"We're having a pillow war!" He says beaming like a little kid.

Just then he picks up a pillow on the ground and throws it at a guy. It hits him right in the face. Ranulf laughs while I gasp.

"Let's join!" Lenna exclaims. "This could be fun!"

I hesitantly nod. "Sure..."

Ranulf smirks. "Don't worry, princess. I'll protect you."

I blush smiling. "A-Alright."

Ranulf pulls me to one side of the room. Along with us there is Mordecai, Lenna, Lance, Matt, and a bunch of other guys. On the other side I recognize Leonardo and Edward. Edward smiles and waves at me. I wave back. Leonardo just nods.

Ranulf picks up a pillow and throws it at a guy. He nearly dodges the attack. That's when the 'war' began. Pillows start flying everywhere across the room. Ranulf stands by my side protecting me from pillows. I am able to dodge a few on my own. I pick up a pillow and toss it. It hits someone's stomach and they catch it. This goes on for a few minutes.

The door opens and a guy stands there looking frantic. "Teacher's coming!" he exclaims.

People automatically start dropping pillows and finding places to hide. I stand there frantically trying to figure out what to do. Ranulf takes my hand and pulls me to the closet. He gently pushes me in as others toss a bunch of pillows in there.

"This is my room so I can't hide with you." He says quickly. "Just stay here until the coast is clear."

I nod. A few others cram into the closet before shutting the door. My back is against the wall. It's so dark that I can't see anything. I can tell someone is standing in front of me. I wish I could make out who it is. Through the closet doors I can hear mumbled voices.

"What's with all the ruckus?" I hear Mr. Shinon ask.

"What are you talking about?" Ranulf asks innocently. "I've just been here with Mordecai reading."

There is a long pause. What's going on? I want to see what's happening!

"I'm watching you." Mr. Shinon finally says in a warning voice.

"Alright, sir." Mordecai replies.

The door shuts. It becomes quiet for a moment. Mordecai opens the closet door wide letting the light in. My eyes widen seeing who is in front of me.

"Coast clear." Mordecai says.

Everyone climbs out while grabbing the pillows on the ground. I am still against the wall looking up at Leonardo. He is only a few inches away from me. His arms are pressed against the wall on either side of me. He looks down at me. Quickly, his cheeks turn red and he jumps back.

"Sorry." He says not looking at me. "I couldn't see anything. I didn't know you were in here."

I smile at him. "It's alright." I say reassuringly. "I couldn't see anything, either."

A small smile appears on his face. I leave the closet first and then he follows behind. I spot Ranulf and run up to him. He hugs me.

"That was a bit scary." I comment.

"Yeah." He replies.

We both slowly start laughing. We then let go of each other.

"I better head back to my room." I tell him.

He nods. "I'll text you later, okay?"

I smile. "Alright."

Ranulf leans forward kissing me on the lips. It was short but I still loved it. He then stands up straight. I wave at him before leaving the room. Lenna is outside the room with Mordecai. She turns to me and smiles.

"I'm going to hang with Mordecai for a while." She says. "Go ahead without me."

"Okay. See you later, then." I reply.

I go down the stairs and pull out the key to our room. I unlock the door and step into the room. I turn on a lamp before lying down on the bed. I sigh. The sun has disappeared and instead the moon takes its place in the sky. I can't see the stars clearly due to the bright lights of the surrounding buildings. I close the curtains.

My cell phone makes a soft 'ding' noise telling me I have a text message. It's from Ranulf. We text for a while. At some point Lenna entered the room but I didn't pay much attention. She just went ahead and turned on the TV.

Soon it was 10 o'clock. I was getting tired so I texted Ranulf telling him I was going to sleep. I put the phone down and pull on my black nightgown. I tie my hair in a braid. When I enter the room Lenna has turned off the TV and fell asleep in bed. I smile at her. I sit on my bed and check my phone.

'_**Night, babe.'**_He texted. _**'I love you.'**_

I blush reading it. I smile replying, '_I love you, too.'_

With that I put my phone down, turn off the lights, and slip under the covers. As soon as my head hit the pillow I was fast asleep.

* * *

**Hopefull this chapter was good and I will try really hard to make sure the next chapter gets updated MUCH sooner! ^_^' I'm going to do a quick thanks to my following reviewer and rest because I am really tired from working on two fanfics in one day. XP**

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**OMG! I have so many reviewers! O_o Thank you guys SO VERY MUCH! Please continue to support me and this story as I slowly make my way through it! Until next time, everyone! Bye! Love you all!**


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